THE  WAY  OF 
SALVATlOn 

m  tkeLutkeVdPi  CkuYck 


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By 


Q,  ■/-/,  (^elUtllni 


D.O. 


lii!iiii!i;|l!l;ii;i 


BX  8065  .GA  1919 
Gerberding,  G.  H.  1847-1927 
The  way  of  salvation  in  the 
Lutheran  Church 


THE  WAY  OF  SAU 

IN  THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH 


By  Q.  J-l.  Qerberding 


REVISED    EDITION 


PUBLISHED    BY 

AUGSBURG    PUBLISHING    HOUSE 


MINNEAPOLIS 


MINNESOTA 


THE  WAV  OF  SALVATION  IN  THE 
LUTHERAN  CHURCH 

Copyright  1919  by  G.  H.  Gerberding 


Revised  Edition  issued  by  permission  of 

The  Lutheran  Book  Concern 

Publishers 


Manufactured  in  the  United  States  of  America 


"FAITH  IN  ACTION" 
SERIES 


Prayer  by  O.  Hallcsby 
TJie  Way  of  Salvation  by  G.  H.  Cicrbcrdiiii^- 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/wayofsalvationin1919gerb 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Intboduction    9 

Preface  20 

Pbefatoey  Sceiptube  Passages   23 

CHAPTER  I. 
All  are  Sinners  , 25 

CHAPTER  II. 
All  that  is  Born  of  the  Flesh  must  be  Born  of  the  Spirit. .  31 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Present,  a  Dispensation  of  Means 38 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Baptism,  a  Divinely  Instituted  Means  of  Grace 45 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Baptismal  Covenant  can  be  Itept  unbroken — Aim 
and  Responsibility  of  Parents  53 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Home  Influence  and  Traning  in  their  Relation  to  the 
Keeping  of  the  Baptismal  Covenant 60 

V 


VI  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VII. 
The   Sunday  School   in  its  Relation  to  the  Baptized 
Children  of  Christian  Parents    67 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Sunday  School — Its  relation  to  those  in  Covenant 
Relationship  with  Christ,  and  also  to  the  XJnbap- 
tized  and  Wandering 75 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Catechlsation     81 

CHAPTER  X. 
Contents,    Arrangement    and    Excellence    of    Luther's 
Small  Catechism  87 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Manner  and  Object  of  Teaching  Luther's  Catechism 94 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Confirmation 101 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Lord's   Supper — Preliminary  Observations   109 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Lord's  Supper,  Continued  115 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Lord's  Supper,  Concluded 121 


CONTENTS  VU 

PACn 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Preparatory   Service,   Sometimes  Called   the  Con- 
fessional Service  132 

^  CHAPTER  XVII. 

\  The  Word  as  a  Means  of  Grace 142 

CHAPTER  XVni. 
Conversion — Its  Nature  and  Necessity  151 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Conversion — ^Varied  Phenomena  or  Experiences 158 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Conversion — Concluded   167 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Justification    176 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Sanctiflcatlon 187 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Revivals  197 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Conclusion 207 

The  Reformation  Church   215 

Guide  Questions  219 


VUl  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Modern  Revivals,  Concluded   226 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Revivals — The  Billy  Sunday  Type  237 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
True  Revivals ..... 242 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Conclusion 257 

The  Refobmation  Church   265 

Guide  Questions   269 

Index   275 


INTRODUCTORY 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BOOK. 

IT  is  thirty  years  since  we  began  to  write  what 
grew  into  The  Way  of  Salvation  in  The 
Lutheran  Church. 

We  have  been  asked  again  and  again  how  we 
came  to  write  the  book. 

In  sending  forth  this  new,  revised  and  en- 
larged Jubilee  Edition,  which  is  the  thirty- 
second  thousand,  we  comply  with  the  request 
and  briefly  tell  the  story. 

The  Author  had  grown  up  in  a  non-Lutheran 
community.  None  of  his  companions  were  Lu- 
therans. His  father,  a  plain  German  farmer,  was 
a  devout  Lutheran.  He  helped  to  organize  the 
first  German  Lutheran  Church  in  Pittsburgh. 
He  preferred  the  German.  As  the  children 
grew  up  in  the  public  school  they  were  among 
those  who  talked  and  thought  and  played  and 
dreamed  in  English.  The  wise  father  saw  that 
to  keep  the  children  in  the  Lutheran  Church  it 
was  better  that  the  parents  unite  with  an  Eng- 
ix 


X  INTRODUCTION 

lish  Church.  They  therefore  united  with  the 
First  English  Lutheran  Church  of  Pittsburgh 
when  the  Rev.  Reuben  Hill  was  pastor,  who 
afterwards  confirmed  the  Author  of  this  book. 
Before  that,  father  had  occasionally  worshipped 
there  under  the  Rev.  W.  A.  Passavant,  and  then 
under  the  Rev.  C.  P.  Krauth.  Neither  of  these 
promising  young  ministers  was  a  doctor  then. 

We  lived  over  four  miles  distant  from  the 
Church  and  there  were  not  even  horse-car  lines. 
So  we  children  could  not  go  to  the  Lutheran 
Sunday  School.  We  attended  a  Methodist  and 
a  Union  Sunday  School.  There  the  writer 
learned  to  understand  the  spirit  and  the  diverse 
teaching  of  the  Reformed  Churches.  He  saw 
their  good  side,  as  well  as  their  weaknesses. 
He  met  some  beautiful  Christian  characters 
there  who  had  a  blessed  influence  over  him. 
Some  of  the  impressions  for  good  that  were  then 
received  abide  to  this  day.  Had  his  father  not 
gone  into  an  English  speaking  Lutheran  Church 
it  is  more  than  likely  that  the  writer  would  have 
united  with  one  of  the  Reformed  denomina- 
tions, for  whose  people  he  cherished  such  a 
high  regard. 

Had  he  gone  to  a  Reformed  or  State  College, 
he  probably  would  not  have  become  a  Lutheran 
minister.  But  he  went  to  Thiel  Hall  where  he 
came  under  the  personal  influence  of  the 
founder  of  the  school,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Passavani; 


INTRODUCTION-  XI 

who  was  a  frequent  visitor,  and  whose  prayers, 
talks  and  sermons  he  can  never  forget.*  There 
he  was  influenced  for  the  ministry  by  the  Rev. 
H.  E.  Jacobs,  then  a  young  man.  Later  on  at 
Muhlenberg  College  he  was  specially  impressed 
by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  and  at  Philadel- 
phia Seminary  by  Drs.  C.  F.  and  C.  W.  Schaef- 
fer,  Drs.  Spaeth,  Krauth,  and  especially  by  Dr. 
Mann. 

During  his  student  vacations  he  worked  un- 
der Dr.  Passavant,  supplying  congregations 
which  the  doctor  had  founded.  He  became  the 
doctor's  successor  at  McKees  Rocks,  and 
through  his  encouragement  founded  Mount  Zion 
Church,  the  Church  at  Pine  Creek  and  also 
started  the  movement  for  Memorial  English 
Lutheran  Church. 

Then  he  accepted  a  call  to  a  country  charge 
in  Harrison  County,  Ohio.  Here  he  found  the 
old-fashioned,  wild,  mourners-bench,  revivalism 
in  full  sway.  The  revival  leaders  had  become 
very  bold,  had  publicly  denounced  the  Luther- 
ans as  sad  examples  of  spiritual  deadness  and 
often  prayed  in  public  that  these  Lutherans  also 
might  **get  religion."  Many  of  our  Lutheran 
people  were  uneasy,  disturbed,  confused,  apolo- 
getic and  timidly  hoped  that  they  might  still 
be  saved,  even  as  Lutherans. 

These  things  deeply  grieved  the  writer.    He 

♦See  Life  and  Letters  of  Passavant,  p.  501  ff. 


XU  INTRODUCTION 

became  indignant  and  protested  against  the 
phariseeism  and  unfairness  of  his  religious 
neighbors.  He  wrote  a  rather  scathing  article 
against  False  Revivalism,  describing  its  scenes 
and  fruits  as  they  had  come  to  his  knowledge, 
for  Dr,  Passavant's  paper,  The  Workman. 
That  copy  of  The  Workman  was  passed  from 
home  to  home  in  Harrison  County  and  agitated 
the  whole  community.  A  scurrilous  reply,  full 
of  personal  abuse,  was  published  in  a  local 
paper.  To  this  we  wrote  a  quiet  answer  for 
the  same  paper.  We  appealed  for  fair  play 
and  invited  our  opponents  to  private  or  public 
discussion  in  a  Christian  spirit.  That  ended 
the  controversy  and  revivals  after  that  were 
never  again  so  wild  or  abusive  of  those  Chris- 
tians who  did  their -church  work  in  a  more 
quiet,  instructive  and  scriptural  way. 

The  writer  of  this  had  been  made  to  see 
that  what  his  own  people  and  Lutherans  in 
general  needed  was  a  more  clear  understand- 
ing of  The  Way  of  Salvation  as  set  forth  in 
the  Scriptures  and  as  held  by  the  Lutheran 
Church.  After  much  thought  and  prayer  he 
began  to  write  a  series  of  articles  for  The 
Workman,  which  was  read  by  nearly  all  the 
families  in  his  congregations. 

These  articles,  covering  over  a  year's  time 
in  the  paper,  met  with  a  kind  and  favorable 
reception  all  over  the  Church.     A  Lutheran 


INTBODUCTION  XIU 

consciousness,  such  as  had  never  prevailed 
before,  was  awakened  and  strengthened  in  his 
parish.  The  Lutheran  Church  was  no  longer 
scorned  as  a  church  unsound  in  teaching  and 
devoid  of  life. 

Bequests  came  to  the  writer  to  have  the  suc- 
cession of  articles  published  in  book  form. 
The  Eev.  A.  Ramsey  offered  a  resolution  in 
the  Southern  Conference  of  the  Pittsburgh 
Synod,  that  the  author  be  requested  to  publish 
the  articles  in  book  form.  The  Eastern  Con- 
ference did  likewise.  Others  followed;  and  so 
he  was  persuaded  to  publish  the  book. 

He  had  one  thousand  copies  bound  and  as 
many  more  published  in  sheets  and  left  un- 
bound. Some  of  his  friends  thought  him 
overly  sanguine  in  having  so  many  bound,  and 
as  many  more  ready  to  bind.  It  was  not  long 
till  the  bound  edition  was  sold.  The  sheets 
were  bound  and  they  also  were  soon  sold  out. 

Some  revisions  were  made  and  the  type  had 
to  be  set  up  again — this  time  in  electro-plates. 
Since  then  editions  of  a  thousand  each  have 
rapidly  succeeded  one  another  at  the  rate  of 
more  than  a  thousand  books  a  year.  Among 
American  Lutheran  books  it  has  been  the 
best  seller.  It  has  been  translated  into  Ger- 
man and  had  a  good  circulation  in  Germany. 
The  writer  has  been  informed  that  it  had  a 
good  influence  there  in  giving  the   American 


XIV  INTRODUCTION 

Lutheran  Church  recognition  and  standing. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  Norwegian  translation 
— permission  for  which  w^as  requested  that  it 
might  be  used  to  combat  the  proseletizing  of 
Lutherans  in  Norway.  We  have  not  been  in- 
formed of  the  influence  of  the  Swedish  trans- 
lation in  Sweden.  We  hope  it  is  doing  a  like 
good  work  there.  Permission  for  a  transla- 
tion into  Tamil  was  requested  ;  it  is  in  pro- 
gress if  not  finished  at  this  writng.  Parts 
have  been  translated  into  Telugu,  Japanese 
and  Yiddish. 


ACHIEVEMENTS   OF   THE   BOOK 

The  Book  has  been  instrumental  in  winning 
scores  of  non-Lutheran  for  our  Church  and 
faith. 

Before  us  lies  a  letter  from  one  of  the  most 
useful  and  active  pastors  of  the  Augustana 
Synod.  He  informs  us  that  their  Book  Con- 
cern published  six  thousand  copies  in  Swedish 
and  then  as  many  more.  He  says  in  conclu- 
sion: *' Think  how  many  forlorn  children  of 
our  Church  have  been  awakened  by  reading 
The  Way  of  Salvation  in  The  Lutheran 
Church." 

One  of  our  most  successful  pastors  in  the 
Chicago  Synod  writes:  **I  owe  you  a  great 
debt  of  gratitude  for  the  help  that  the  little 


INTRODUCTION  XV 

book  has  been  to  me  in  my  work.  The  instances 
of  people  coming  from  other  denominations 
into  our  Church  are  many.  The  book  is  con- 
stantly used  in  preparing  them  for  membership. 
We  keep  a  battery  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  in 
action  most  of  the  time.  The  prospective  mem- 
bers read  it  as  a  basis  of  the  instruction  which 
I  give  privately  from  time  to  time.  Many  buy 
the  book  for  themselves.  They  lend  their  books 
to  friends  and  neighbors.  I  am  about  to  receive 
two  members  from  the  M.  E.  Church,  who  read 
the  book,  loaned  by  a  neighbor,  one  of  our 
Councilmen.  No  small  part  of  the  increase  of 
over  three  hundred  per  cent,  since  I  came  here, 
I  am  certain,  is  due  to  the  influence  of  The  Way 
of  Salvation.  I  recently  attended  the  funeral 
of  a  child  in  a  church  of  another  denomination. 
The  preacher  spoke  like  a  Lutheran  on  Grace 
through  the  means  of  Grace.  When  I  ques- 
tioned him  as  to  these  ideas  he  answered:  *I 
am  no  stranger  to  the  Lutheran  faith  for  I  read 
and  re-read  The  Way  of  Salvation  by  Dr.  G.  It 
helps  to  keep  me  straight  on  the  Bible  way  of 
Salvation.'  " 

A  prominent  Doctor  in  the  Wartburg  Synod 
of  the  General  Synod  writes:  ''In  my  experi- 
ence as  a  pastor  I  can  refer  to  many  cases 
where  people  have  found  their  way  into  the 
Lutheran  Church  by  reading  your  convincing 


XVI  INTRODUCTION 

discussion.  I  used  the  book  successfully  in  the 
instruction  of  Eoman  Catholics." 

An  active  pastor  of  the  Joint  Synod  of  Ohio 
writes:  **I  have  circulated  over  one  hundred 
copies.  Have  used  it  for  the  instruction  of 
about  twenty-five  adults  who  have  come  into  our 
Church  from  other  denominations." 

And  here  we  might  say  that  we  get  many  or- 
ders for  the  book  to  be  used  in  Adult  Cate- 
chetical and  Bible  Classes,  as  also  for  Confir- 
mation gifts.  One  Augustana  pastor  has  been 
sending  for  fifty  or  more  copies  annually  for  a 
number  of  years.  One  in  the  Synod  of  the 
Northwest  has  done  likewise.  A  pastor  who 
gives  out  these  books,  properly  inscribed,  at  his 
last  meeting  with  his  class,  never  loses  any- 
thing and  certainly  gains  in  the  joy  of  seeing 
more  of  his  catechumens  remain  firm  and  grow 
in  their  Lutheran  and  spiritual  consciousness. 

A  successful  young  pastor  in  the  General 
Synod  informs  us  that  through  the  book  he 
has  won  Immersionists  and  Eoman  Catholics 
into  his  Church. 

Another  brother,  highly  esteemed  for  his 
work's  sake  and  prominent  in  the  Pittsburgh 
Synod,  writes:  ''There  is  something  strange 
about  that  book.  It  slips  away  from  me.  I  had 
a  kind  of  a  circulating  library.  I  loaned  'Sal- 
vations' to  different  people,  but  they  never 
come  back.    Hope  they  are  still  circulating. ' ' 


INTRODUCTION  XVll 

"The  one  true  revival  that  I  had  was  in  a 
country  parish  in  Ohio.  One  of  the  congrega- 
tions, now  a  part  of  that  parish,  with  a  Church 
of  its  own,  was  brought  into  being  through  the 
direct  influence  of  that  wonderful  book.  It 
was  a  Methodist  center  where  one  or  two  high 
pressure  revivals  were  worked  up  a  year.  The 
Methodist  was  the  only  church  in  the  commun- 
ity before  our  mission  was  organized.  There 
were  a  number  of  level-headed  people  in  the 
community  who  did  their  owtl  thinking.  They 
sought  satisfaction  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  but 
their  questionings  were  not  answered.  Others 
wanted  a  church-home  but  could  not  be  dra- 
gooned into  the  revival-holiness  church.  They 
wanted  instruction,  knowledge,  clearness  first 
and  then  assent  and  confidence. 

"The  Way  of  Salvation  was  circulated  among 
these  people.  They  studied  it,  discussed  it, 
absorbed  it,  found  satisfaction  and  loved  it  be- 
cause they  had  gotten  an  answer  to  so  many 
questions  that  had  never  been  answered  in  the, 
other  church.  One  good  Christian  woman  of 
over  three-score  years  who  had  been  of  the  M. 
E.  persuasion  all  her  life  told  me,  after  reading 
the  book,  that  now  she  had  found  that  for  which 
she  had  been  hungering  in  our  doctrine  of  the 
Sacraments. 

"We  held  services  and  Sunday  School  in  the 
schoolhouse.    On  one  Sunday  I  baptized  twenty- 


XVIU  INTRODUCTION" 

two ;  fathers  and  mothers  standing  side  by  side 
with  their  children.  These  Lutherans  now  have 
a  neat  little  church  of  their  own. 

''I  attribute  much  of  my  success  there  to  your 
book.  It  certainly  was  a  great  Lutheran  mis- 
sionary in  that  region.  In  that  high-pressure, 
holiness  community  it  did  bring  many  people 
into  The  Way  of  Salvation.  It  was  a  source  of 
much  joy  to  me  to  see  its  blessed  influence." 

We  might  add  many  more  testimonies.  But 
enough  I  To  write  dowm  these  might  look  like 
boasting.  But,  truly,  we  do  not  mean  it  so.  We 
have  long  had  a  conviction — it  grows  with  the 
years — that  true  Lutheranism  is  the  Gospel, 
that  it  is  good  for  men,  women  and  children  of 
all  classes  and  conditions.  We  verily  believe 
that  where  it  is  presented  plainly,  warmly,  out 
of  a  heart  that  daily  experiences  its  peace  and 
blessedness,  it  commends  itself.  We  believe 
that  wherever  such  a  presentation  gets  an  un- 
prejudiced hearing  there  it  will  win.  What  we 
have  written  above  is  a  living  and  speaking 
demonstration  of  this  fact.  We  have  written 
down  these  things  in  order  to  hearten,  encour- 
age and  strengthen  the  brethren. 

We  have  gone  over  every  page  with  care. 
Here  and  there  Ave  corrected  expressions,  elim- 
inated unnecessary  words,  added  words,  clauses 
and  sentences  to  make  the  sense  more  clear  or 
the  argument  more  forcible.  In  a  few  places 
we  added  paragraphs. 


INTEODUCTION  XIX 

A  number  of  foot-notes  have  been  added. 

The  larger  additions  have  been,  first,  this 
Introductory  and  second  a  number  of  pages 
and  a  new  Chapter  on  Revivals. 

We  thought  the  latter  additions  advisable  be- 
cause the  methods  and  spirit  of  present-day 
Evangelism  differ  widely  from  those  of  the  re- 
vivalism in  vogue  when  we  first  wrote  the  book. 
It  is  our  hope  that  these  additions  may  be  help- 
ful toward  a  clearer  understanding  of  profes- 
sional Evangelism  as  it  confronts  us  today. 

We  also  add  a  number  of  Review  Questions 
for  the  use  of  Leagues,  Societies,  Brotherhoods 
and  Adult  Classes,  and  a  Topical  Index. 

For  eighty-three  of  these  ninety-four  ques- 
tions we  are  indebted  to  the  Rev.  H.  E.  Berkey, 
of  Roaring  Springs,  Pa.  This  genial  and 
capable  brother  prepared  these  valuable  ques- 
tions over  a  score  of  years  ago.  We  knew 
neither  the  name  nor  the  address  of  the  author 
of  the  questions  when  we  added  them  to  the 
thirty-second  thousand  edition.  Since  then  we 
have  found  him,  and  hereby  gladly  and  grate- 
fully give  the  credit  which  he  so  richly  deserves. 

May  this  Revised  Edition,  and  its  successors, 
be  a  potent  voice  for  God  and  for  good  in  this 
wilderness  of  sin  and  error.  May  it  help  to 
bring  our  dear  Church,  so  often  misunderstood 
and  misrepresented,  into  her  own  in  this  doubt- 
ing and  drifting  land  of  our  love. 


PREFACE 


I  TAKE  pleasure  in  commending  this  unpreten- 
tious volume  to  the  prayerful  attention  of  all 
English-speaking  ministers  and  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  The  aim  of  the  author  is  to 
present  a  clear,  concise,  and  yet  as  comprehen- 
sive a  view  as  possible,  of  the  way  of  salvation 
as  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  and  held  by  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  That  he  has  accomplished  his 
task  so  as  to  make  it  throughout  an  illustration 
of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  a  correct  testi- 
mony to  the  faith  of  the  Church  of  which  he  is 
an  honored  minister,  I  believe  will  appear  to  all 
who  read  with  an  unbiased  mind,  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  sources  of  information  from  which 
he  has  drawn.  There  is  always  need  for  such 
a  candid  and  considerate  statement  of  funda- 
mental truth  as  this.  The  signs  of  the  times 
clearly  indicate  that  there  is  no  security  for 
the  Church  save  in  maintaining  the  Apostolic 
faith  and  spirit — not  the  one  without  the  other, 
but  the  one  with  the  other.  The  supremacy  of 
the  Scriptures  needs  to  be  recognized  with  a 
mightier  emphasis,  not  only  of  the  intellect,  but 

XX 


PREFACE  XXI 

also  of  the  heart.  This  vital  conjunction  is 
maintained  in  this  book.  I  am  certain  that  a 
clear  view  of  the  way  of  salvation  as  taught  by 
the  Scriptures  and  held  by  the  Church  will  go 
far  not  only  toward  correcting  wrong  impres- 
sions, but  will  tend  to  the  relief  of  much  mental 
perplexity,  and  to  the  increase  of  that  much- 
needed  spirit  of  unity  throughout  our  Church, 
the  want  of  which  is  not  only  the  greatest 
reflection  on  her  noble  history  and  holy  faith, 
but  the  greatest  hindrance  to  her  important 
mission.  A  kindly  Christ-like  spirit  pervades 
this  book,  which  is  no  small  testimony  to  its 
worth. 

Those  who  stand  up  for  the  truth  do  not 
always  illustrate  its  spirit.  Not  all  who  might 
desire  greater  unity  in  the  Church  are  qualified 
to  promote  it.  The  author  of  this  little  treatise 
has  not  only  manifested  the  proper  spirit,  but 
he  has  shown  as  well  the  faculty  of  using  it  for 
the  increase  of  harmony,  without  the  least  dis- 
loyalty to  the  Scriptures,  or  to  the  standards 
of  the  Church.  The  appeal  throughout  is  to 
the  Word  of  God.  The  faith  of  the  Church  is 
subjected  to  this  test,  and  it  is  maintained  be- 
cause it  endures  the  test. 

These  chapters  present  a  continuity  of 
thought  which  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  in 
the  reading.  In  order  to  get  a  correct  verdict, 
they  should  not  be  read  with  such  discrimina- 


XXU  PREFACE 

tion  as  would  accept  some  and  reject  others, 
but  from  the  first  to  the  last  in  order.  That 
this  little  book  may  be  owned  of  God  to  the 
establishment  of  the  faith  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  and  for  the  promotion  of  a  more  mani- 
fest unity  among  those  who  bear  her  name,  is 
a  prayer  in  which  I  am  sure  many  will  join  the 
author  of  this  work,  and  the  writer  of  this  in- 
troductory note. 

M.  RHODES. 

President  of  the  General  Synod 
of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

St.  Louis,  Mo.,  March,  1887. 


Prefatory  Scripture  Passages 


To  the  Law  and  to  the  Testmony;  if  they  speak  not 
according  to  this  Word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light 
in  them.— laa.  vlii.  20. 

Thus  saith  the  Lord;  Stand  ye  in  the  ways,  and  see,  and 
ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way  and  walk 
therein,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls. — Jer.  vi.  16. 

That  we  henceforth  be  no  more  children,  tossed  to  and 
fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind  of  dontrine,  by  the 
sleight  of  men,  and  cunning  craftiness,  whereby  they  lie 
in  wait  to  deceive.  But  speaking  the  truth  in  love,  may 
grow  up  into  Him  in  all  things,  which  is  the  Head,  even 
Christ.— Eph.  iv.  14. 

Be  not  carried  about  with  divers  and  strange  doctrines; 
for  it  is  a  good  thing  that  the  heart  be  established  with 
grace. — Heb.  xiii.  9. 

Take  heed  unto  thyself,  and  unto  the  doctrine;  continue 
in  them,  for  in  doing  this  thou  shalt  both  save  thyself  and 
them  that  hear  thee. — I  Tim.  iv.  16. 

Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  which  thou  hast 
heard  of  me,  in  faith  and  love  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus. — 
2  Tim.  1.  13. 

And  be  ready  always  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man 
that  asketh  you  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  you,  with 
meekness  and  fear. — I  Pet.  iii.  15. 

Beloved,  when  I  gave  all  diligence  to  write  unto  you  of 
the  common  salvation,  it  was  needful  for  me  to  write  unto 
you,  and  exhort  you  that  ye  should  earnestly  contend  for 
the  faith,  which  was  once  delivered  unto  the  taints. — 
Jude  3. 


XXIV  PBEFATORY  SCBIPTURE  PASSAGES 

For  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  not  endure  sound 
doctrine;  but  after,  their  own  lusts  they  shall  heap  to 
themselves  teachers,  having  itching  ears;  and  they  shall 
turn  their  ears  away  from  the  truth,  and  shall  be  turned 
unto  fables. — 2  Tim.  iv.  3,  4. 

Whosoever  transgresseth,  and  abideth  not  in  the  doctrine 
of  Christ,  hath  not  God.  lie  that  abideth  in  the  doctrine 
of  Christ,  he  hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son.  If  there 
come  any  unto  you,  and  bring  not  this  doctrine,  receive 
him  not  into  your  house,  neither  bid  him  God-speed.  For 
he  that  biddeth  him  God-speed  is  partaker  of  his  evil 
deeds.— 2  John  9,  10,  11. 

For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the  words  of 
the  Prophecy  of  this  book.  If  any  man  shall  add  unto  these 
things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are  written 
in  this  book;  and  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from  the 
words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall  take  away 
his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city, 
and  from  the  things  which  are  written  in  tMs  book. — Rev. 
xxii.  18,  19. 


THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 


CHAPTER  I. 
Ai.L  Are  Sinners. 

WE  often  have  heard  from  persons  who 
should  have  known  better,  remarks  some- 
thing like  these:  *'I  wonder  how  sinners  are 
saved  in  the  Lutheran  Church?"  *'I  do  not 
hear  of  any  being  converted  in  the  Lutheran 
Church."  More  than  once  was  the  remark 
made  in  our  hearing  that  in  certain  churches 
sinners  were  saved,  because  converted  and 
sanctified,  while  it  was  at  least  doubtful  whether 
any  one  could  find  such  blessings  in  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  The  writer  also  freely  con- 
fesses, that  in  his  early  days,  surrounded  by 
such  unsettling  influences,  *'his  feet  had  well- 
nigh  slipped — his  steps  were  almost  gone/' 
Therefore,  he  can  sympathize  with  those  honest 
questioners,  who  have  not  had  the  privileges  of 
instruction  in  the  doctrines  of  sin  and  Grace, 
and  who  are  consequently  in  the  dark.  This 
determined  him  to  write  a  series  of  plain,  prac- 
25 


26  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

tical  papers  on  the  ''Way  of  Salvation  in  the 
Lutheran  Church. ' '  It  was  his  endeavor  to  set 
forth  the  manner  and  method  through  which 
the  Church  of  the  Reformation  proposes  to 
reach  the  sinner,  and  apply  to  him  the  redemp- 
tion that  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

The  first  question  that  presents  itself  is: 
Who  are  the  subjects  of  salvation?  The  answer 
clearly  is :  All  who  need  to  be  saved.  ^Hiom 
does  this  embrace?  The  answer  to  this  is  not 
so  unanimous.  The  views  diverge.  True,  there 
is  quite  a  substantial  harmony  on  this  point, 
among  all  the  older  Protestant  Confessions, 
but  the  harmony  is  not  so  manifest  among 
the  professed  adherents  of  these  Confessions. 

In  many  of  the  denominations  there  is  a  wide- 
spread skepticism  as  to  the  reality  of  original 
sin,  or  native  depravity.  Doubtless  on  this 
point  the  wish  is  father  to  the  thought.  The 
doctrine  that,  "after  Adam's  fall,  all  men  be- 
gotten after  the  common  course  of  nature,  are 
born  with  sin,"  is  not  palatable.  It  grates 
harshly  on  the  human  ear.  It  is  so  humbling 
to  the  pride  of  man's  heart,  and  therefore  he 
tries  to  persuade  himself  that  it  is  not  true.  It 
has  become  fashionable  to  deny  it.  From  the 
pulpit,  from  the  press,  from  the  pages  of  our 
most  popular  writers,  we  hear  the  old-fashioned 
doctrine  denounced  as  unworthy  of  this  en- 
lightened age.    Thus  the  heresy  has  spread,  and 


AU^  AEE  SINNERS  27 

is  spreading.  On  every  hand  we  meet  men  wlio 
stand  high  in  their  churches,  spurning  the  idea 
that  their  children  are  sinners,  and  need  to  be 
saved.  Their  creed  is :  ' '  I  believe  in  the  purity 
and  innocence  of  childhood,  and  in  its  fitness 
for  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  without  any  change 
or  application  of  divine  Grace."  Ah!  yes,  we 
should  all  like  to  have  this  creed  true.  But  is 
it  true?  If  not,  our  believing  it  will  not  make 
it  true. 

Then  let  us  go  '^to  the  law  and  to  the  testi- 
mony;" to  the  source  and  fountain  of  all  truth, 
the  inspired  Word  of  God.  Listen  to  its  sad 
but  plain  statements.  Job  xv.  14:  ''What  is 
man  that  he  should  be  clean?  and  he  which  is 
horn  of  a  woman  that  he  should  he  righteous?'* 
Ps.  li.  5 :  "Behold  I  was  shapen  in  iniquity,  and 
in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me/'  John  iii.  6 : 
"That  which  is  horn  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,*' 
Ephesians  ii.  3:  "Among  whom  also  we  all  .  . 
.  were  hy  nature" — i.  e.  by  birth — "the  chil- 
dren of  wrath  even  as  others."  These  are  a 
few  of  the  many  clear,  plain  statements  of  the 
divine  Word.  Nowhere  does  it  teach  that  chil- 
dren are  born  pure,  righteous  and  fit  for  heaven. 

The  Luthean  Church,  then,  teaches  and  con- 
fesses nothing  but  the  pure  truth  of  God's  Word 
when  in  the  Augsburg  Confession,  Article  II., 
she  says :  ' '  Also  they  teach,  that  after  Adam 's 
fall  all  men,  begotten  after  the  common  course 


28  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

of  nature,  are  born  with  sin."  Also  Smalcald 
Articles,  Part  III.,  Article  I:  ''Here  we  must 
confess,  that  sin  originated  from  one  man 
Adam,  by  whose  disobedience  all  were  made 
sinners  and  subject  to  death  and  the  devil.  This 
is  called  original  or  capital  sin  .  .  .  This 
hereditary  sin  is  so  deep  a  corruption  of  nature 
that  no  reason  can  understand  it,  but  it  must 
be  believed  from  the  revelation  of  Scripture." 
So  also  in  the  Formula  of  Concord,  Chapter  I., 
''Of  Original  Sin,"  we  see  a  full  presentation 
of  our  faith  and  its  foundation.  Also  Luther's 
Explanation  of  the  Second  Article  of  the 
Apostles'  Creed,  where  he  says:  "Who — 
Christ — has  redeemed  me,  a  poor,  lost  and  con- 
demned creature,  secured  and  delivered  me 
from  all  sins,  from  death,  and  from  the  power 
of  the  devil." 

This,  then  is  the  teaching  of  our  Church,  as 
founded  on  the  Word  of  God.  That  this  doc- 
trine is  true,  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt, 
we  can  learn  even  from  reason.  It  will  not  be 
disputed  that  what  is  in  the  child  will  show  it- 
self as  it  develops.  The  germs  that  lie  hidden 
there  will  unfold  and  bring  forth  their  proper 
and  natural  fruit.  By  its  fruits  we  can  know 
even  the  child.  And  what  are  these  fruits? 
How  long  will  it  be  before  that  helpless  and 
seemingly  innocent  b«be,  that  slumbers  on  its 
mother's  breast,  will  show  symptoms  of  anger, 


ALL  ARE  SINNEES 


29 


jealousy,  stubbornness  and  disobedience?  Let 
that  child  alone,  and,  without  a  teacher,  it  will 
learn  to  lie,  deceive,  steal,  curse  and  give  pain 
to  others.  But,  without  a  teacher,  it  will  not 
learn  to  pray,  confess  wrong,  and  "fear,  love 
and  trust  in  God  above  all  things."  Are  these 
the  symptoms  and  evidences  of  inward  purity, 
or  of  inbred  sin? 

Again,  that  child  is  subject  to  sickness,  suf- 
fering and  death.  As  soon  as  it  draws  its  first 
breath  its  life  is  a  struggle.  It  must  contend 
against  the  inroads  of  disease.  Its  little  body 
is  attacked  by  dire  maladies.  It  is  weakened  by 
suffering  and  often  racked  by  pain.  And  how 
frequently  the  feeble  life  succumbs  and  the  in- 
fant dies. 

How  can  we  account  for  this  on  the  ground 
of  infant  sinlessness?  Do  we  not  all  believe 
that  suffering  and  death  are  the  results  of  sin? 
Is  there,  can  there  be  suffering  and  death  where 
there  is  no  sin?  No  babe  would  ever  die  if  it 
were  without  sin.  ''The  wages  of  sin  is  death." 
But  this  wages  is  never  exacted  where  the  work 
of  sin  has  not  been  done.  The  conclusion  then 
is  irresistible.  The  child  is  a  sinner.  It  needs 
salvation.  It  must  be  reached  by  saving  Grace. 
It  must  be  counted  in.  It  is  one  of  the  subjects 
of  salvation,  and  must  be  brought  into  the  Way 
of  Salvation. 

The  Church  is  the  Bride  of  Christ,  the  institu- 


30  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

tion  through  which  Christ  brings  and  applies 
this  Grace  to  the  children  of  men.  She  must 
begin  with  the  child.  She  must  reach  down  to 
the  tender  infant  and  carry  the  cleansing  and 
life-giving  Grace  of  the  Redeemer  even  into  its 
sin-sick  soul. 

How  is  this  to  be  done?  How  does  the  Lu- 
theran Church  propose  to  reach  that  child? 
Let  us  lay  aside  all  our  own  notions  and  preju- 
dices. Let  us  come  with  an  open  and  an  un- 
biased mind,  ready  to  learn  and  believe  what 
God  teaches  and  what  our  Church  confesses. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ALL  THAT  IS  BORN  OF  THE  FLESH  MUST  BE  BORN  OF 
THE  SPIRIT. 

IN  the  former  chapter  we  have  shown,  from 
Scripture  and  from  reason,  that  our  Church 
teaches  only  the  plain  truth  of  God,  when  she 
confesses  that:  "After  Adam's  fall,  all  men, 
begotten  after  the  common  course  of  nature, 
are  born  with  sin. ' ' 

As  a  sinful  being  the  new-born  infant  is  not 
in  the  Way  of  Salvation.  By  its  natural  birth, 
from  sinful  parents,  it  is  not  in  the  kingdom  of 
God,  but  in  the  realm  and  under  the  dominion 
of  sin,  death  and  the  devil.  If  left  to  itself — to 
the  undisturbed  development  of  its  own  nature 
— it  must  miserably  and  hopelessly  perish. 
True,  there  is  a  relative  innocence.  The  Apostle 
exhorts:  *'Be  ye  folloivers  of  God,  as  dear 
children/'  ''In  malice  he  ye  children.''  Our 
blessed  Saviour,  on  several  occasions,  rebuked 
the  vain  and  ambitious  spirit  of  the  disciples  by 
contrasting  it  with  the  spirit  of  a  little  child. 
He  said:  ''Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven," 
and  "Except  ye  be  converted,  and  become  as 
31 


32  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

little  children,  ye  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of 
heaven." 

These  passages  are  generally  quoted  by  those 
who  refuse  to  believe  the  doctrine  of  Original 
Sin,  as  though  they  taught  sinlessness  and  nat- 
ural j&tness  for  the  kingdom.  But  if  we  accept 
this  interpretation,  then  the  Scriptures  contra- 
dict themselves ;  for  we  have  seen  that,  in  many 
places,  they  clearly  teach  the  opposite.  These 
passages  can  only  mean  that  children  are  rela- 
tively innocent.  Compared  with  the  forbidding, 
haughty,  loveless  disciples,  little  children  are 
much  better  subjects  for  the  kingdom.  While 
the  roots  of  sin  are  there,  that  sin  has  not  yet 
done  its  hardening  work. 

They  do  not  wilfully  resist  the  good.  They 
are  much  more  tender,  docile,  trustful  and  lov- 
ing. The  Grace  of  God  has  less  to  overcome 
in  them.  They  are  more  easily  reached,  and 
thus  are  fit  subjects  to  be  brought  into  the  king- 
dom of  God.  In  this  sense  only  can  it  be  said, 
'* Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me/' 
that  I  may  touch  them,  bless  them,  impart  my 
Grace  to  them,  and  thus  make  them  partakers 
of  my  kingdom.  ^'Of  such  is  the  kingdom''  be- 
cause I  desire  and  purpose  to  bring  them  into 
the  kingdom. 

Thus  far  we  can  safely  go.  This  much  in 
favor  of  the  child,  over  against  the  adult,  we 
freely  admit.     But  this  does  not  say  that  the 


THE  NEW  BIRTH  33 

child  is  innocent,  pure  and  holy  by  nature.  The 
undeveloped  roots  and  germs  of  sin  are  still 
there.  Its  nature  is  evil.  It  must  be  saved 
from  that  moral  nature.    How? 

Here  again  we  meet  those  who  claim  to  have 
a  very  easy  solution  of  the  difficulty.  They  say : 
"Admitting  that  the  child  has  sin,  this  will  in 
no  way  endanger  its  salvation,  because  Christ 
died  to  take  away  sin.  Children  have  no  con- 
scious sin.  Therefore,  the  atonement  of  Christ 
covers  their  case,  and,  without  anything  fur- 
ther, they  pass  into  heaven,  if  they  die  in  their 
infancy. ' ' 

This  view  seems  to  satisfy  a  great  many  well- 
meaning  people.  Without  giving  the  matter 
any  further  thought,  they  dismiss  it  with  this 
seemingly  easy  solution.  Surely,  did  they  stop 
to  consider  and  examine  this  theory,  they  would 
see  that  it  has  no  foundation. 

Christ's  atonement  alone,  and  in  itself,  never 
saved  a  soul.  It  removed  the  obstacles  that 
were  in  the  way  of  our  salvation,  opened  the 
way  back  to  our  Father 's  house,  purchased  for- 
giveness and  salvation  for  us.  But  all  this 
profits  the  sinner  nothing,  so  long  as  he  is  not 
brought  into  that  way;  so  long  as  the  pur- 
chased salvation  is  not  applied  to  him  person- 
ally. 


34  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

The  position  is  utterly  groundless.  It  is  even 
contrary  to  reason.  It  assumes  that  a  being  who 
has  in  his  heart,  as  a  very  part  of  his  nature, 
the  roots  and  germs  of  sin,  can,  with  that  heart 
unchanged,  enter  into  eternal  bhss.  It  makes 
(xod  look  upon  sin  with  allowance.  It  does 
violence  to  the  hohness  of  His  nature.  It 
makes  Iieaven  the  abode  of  the  imclean. 


No,  no.  It  will  not  do.  When  men  try  to 
avoid  what  seem  to  them,  difficult  and  unwel- 
come doctrines  of  God's  Word,  they  run  into 
far  greater  difficulties  and  contradictions.  That 
child  is  conceived  and  born  in  sin.  It  is  a  child 
of  wrath,  dead  in  trespasses  and  in  sins.  Its 
nature  must  be  cleansed  and  renewed.  Other- 
wise, if  it  can  pass  into  heaven  as  it  is.  there  are 
unregenerate  souls  in  heaven! 


Better  abide  by  what  is  written,  and  believe 
that  every  one,  infant  or  adult,  who  has  been 
born  of  the  flesh,  must  be, born  of  the  Spirit. 
Listen  to  the  earnest  words  of  Jesus  as  he  em- 
phasizes them  with  that  solemn  double  affirma- 
tion, ^*  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a 
man  he  horn  again  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom 
of  God.'*  He  repeats  this  sweeping  declaration 
a  second  time.    In  the  Greek  it  reads,  Except 


THE  NEW  BIRTH  35 

any  one  be  born  again.  The  assertion  is  in- 
tended to  embrace  every  human  being.  Lest 
this  should  be  disputed,  Jesus  further  says, 
"That  which  is  born  of  the  -flesh'* — i.  e.,  nat- 
urally born — "is  flesh,  and  that  which  is  horn 
of  the  Spirit  is  spirit/*  Wherever  there  is  a 
birth  of  the  flesh,  there  must  be  a  birth  of  the 
Spirit.  The  flesh-born  unchanged  cannot  even 
see  the  kingdom  of  God,  still  less  possess  it, 
much  less  enjoy  it.  There  must  be  new  life, 
spiritual  life,  divine  life  breathed  into  that 
fleshly,  carnal  nature.  Thus  will  there  be  a  new 
heart,  a  new  spirit,  a  new  creature.  Then,  and 
not  till  then,  can  there  be  comprehension,  appre- 
hension and  appreciation  of  the  things  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  This  is  the  teaching  of  the 
whole  Word  of  God.  Gal.  vi.  15.  "For  in 
Christ  Jesus  neither  circumcision  availeth  any- 
thng,  nor  uncircumcision,  hut  a  new  creature'* 
— i.  e.,  neither  Jewish  birth  nor  Gentile  birth, 
without  the  new  birth. 

Here  also  then,  spite  of  all  objections,  our 
Church  confesses  the  pure  truth  of  God's  Word, 
when,  in  the  second  Article  of  the  Augsburg 
Confession,  as  quoted  above,  she  goes  on  to  say : 
**And  this  disease,  or  original  fault,  is  truly 
sin,  condemning  and  bringing  eternal  death 
upon  all  that  are  not  born  again." 

Here  we  must  take  our  stand.  No  child  can 
be  saved  unless  it  be  first  reached  by  renewiug 


36  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Grace.  If  ever  an  infant  did  die,  or  should  die, 
in  that  state  in  which  it  was  born,  unchanged  by 
divine  Grace,  that  infant  is  lost.  There  are, 
there  can  be,  no  unregenerate  souls  in  heaven. 
Where  there  is  no  infant  regeneration,  there 
can  be  no  infant  salvation.  This  will  be  more 
fully  explained  in  the  next  chapter. 

Here  also  we  remark,  in  passing,  that  this  doc- 
trine, of  the  absolute  necessity  of  infant  re- 
generation, is  not  held  by  the  Lutheran  Church 
alone.  Even  the  Romish  and  Greek  Churches 
teach  that  it  is  impossible  for  any  human  crea- 
ture, without  a  change  from  that  condition  in 
which  he  was  born,  to  enter  heaven.  All  the 
great  historic  confessions  of  the  Protestant 
churches  confess  the  same  truth.  The  Calvin- 
istic  Baptists  also  confess  the  necessity  of  in- 
fant regeneration. 

In  short  all  churches  that  have  paid  much 
attention  to  theology,  and  have  been  careful  to 
have  consistent  systems  of  doctrine,  agree  on 
this  point.  However  much  those  who  call  them- 
selves by  the  names  of  these  churches  may  deny 
it  in  their  preaching  and  in  their  conversation, 
their  own  confessions  of  faith  and  their  great- 
est and  best  theologians  clearly  teach  it. 

Yes,  there  must  be  infant  regeneration.  But 
is  it  possible?  Can  the  Grace  of  God  reach  the 
helpless  infant?  Will  He  reach  down  and  make 
it  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus?     Has  He 


THE  NEW  BIKTH  37 

made  provision  for  this  end?  Yes,  thanks  be 
to  his  abounding  Grace,  we  believe  He  can  and 
will  save  the  child,  and  has  committed  to  His 
spouse,  the  Church,  a  means  of  Grace  for  this 
purpose.  He,  of  whom  it  was  prophesied  long 
before  He  came,  that  He  would  '' gather  the 
lambs  in  His  arms  and  carry  them  in  His 
bosom;'*  who  made  it  the  first  duty  of  the  re- 
instated apostle  to  feed  His  lambs,  must  have  a 
special  care  for  them.  It  is  not  His  or  His 
Father's  will  "that  one  of  them  should  perish." 
He  has  made  provision  for  these  sin-stricken 
ones,  whereby  His  Grace  can  reach  down  to  re- 
new and  heal  them.  There  is  a  Balm  in  Gilead. 
The  Great  Physician  is  there.  The  Church  need 
only  apply  His  divine,  life-giving  remedy. 


CHAPTER  m. 

The  Present,  a  Dispensation  of  Means. 

WE  have  seen  that  the  carnal,  sinful  nature 
of  the  child  unfits  it  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven ;  that,  therefore,  there  must  be  a  change 
in  that  nature,  even  the  birth  of  a  new  life,  and 
the  life  of  a  new  creature,  before  there  can  be 
either  part  pr  lot  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  We 
have  also  expressed  our  firm  conviction  that  it 
is  the  good  and  gracious  will  of  God  in  Christ 
to  bestow  upon  the  poor  sin-sick  and  unholy 
child  the  Grace  needed  to  so  change  it  as  to 
make  it  a  partaker  of  His  great  salvation.  We 
do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  stop  to  multiply 
scripture  passages  and  arguments  to  prove  this. 
From  beginning  to  end,  the  divine  Word 
everywhere  represents  our  God  as  a  most  lov- 
ing, gracious,  compassionate  and  tender  Being. 
The  tenor  of  the  whole  record  is,  that  He  de- 
lights in  showing  mercy,  forgiving  iniquity,  and 
bestowing  the  Grace  that  bringeth  salvation. 
He  only  punishes  when  justice  absolutely  de- 
mands it,  and  then  reluctantly.  It  is  not  His 
will  that  any  should  perish. 
38 


THE  PRESENT,  A  DISPENSATION  OF  MEANS        39 

Beyond  controversy,  God  is  willing  to  save  the 
little  helpless  sufferers  from  sin,  by  making 
them  subjects  oi  His  kingdom  of  Grace  here, 
and  thus  of  His  kingdom  of  glory  hereafter. 

But  can  He?  Is  He  able  to  reach  down  to 
that  unconscious  little  child,  apply  to  it  the 
benefits  of  the  atonement,  impart  to  it  the  Grace 
of  the  new  life,  subdue  the  power  of  sin,  and 
remove  entirely  its  guilt?  We  are  almost 
ashamed  to  ask  such  questions.  And  yet  the 
humiliating  fact  is,  that  day  by  day,  in  every 
village  and  on  every  highway  and  public  place 
of  our  land,  we  can  hear  men  and  women,  pro- 
fessing to  be  Christians  and  calling  themselves 
members  of  Christ's  Church,  gravely  asserting 
that  their  Redeemer  cannot  so  bless  a  little  child 
as  to  change  its  sinful  nature !  If  hard  pressed, 
these  persons,  so  wise  in  their  own  conceits, 
may  admit  that  He  can  change  a  child 's  nature 
if  He  so  wills,  but  they  still  feel  certain  that  he 
cannot  do  so  through  His  own  sacrament,  insti- 
tuted for  that  very  purpose !  Thus  would  they 
limit  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  say  to  Omni- 
potence: **  Hitherto  canst  Thou  come,  but  no 
farther. ' ' 

With  such  people,  wise  above  what  is  written, 
knowing  better  than  Christ,  practically,  even  if 
not  intentionally,  charging  the  Son  of  God  with 
folly,  we  desire  no  controversy.  Let  them  over- 
throw the  very  foundations  of  redemption  if 


40  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

they  will.  Let  them  argue  that  all  things  are 
not  possible  with  God  if  they  dare.  We  still 
prefer  to  believe  that  the  Spirit  of  God  can 
change,  renew  and  regenerate  the  new-born 
child.  In  Matt.  iii.  9,  we  read :  ''For  I  say  unto 
you  that  God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up 
children  unto  Abraham/* — i.  e.,  as  the  connec- 
tion shows,  spiritual  children  of  Abraham,  true 
children  of  God. 

We  may  not  be  able  to  understand  the  pro- 
cess by  which  God  could  change  the  rough,  hard 
stones  of  the  field  into  true  children  of  God, 
but  we  believe  it,  because  the  Word  says  so. 
And  believing  that,  it  is  not  hard  for  us  to  be- 
lieve that  He  can  impart  His  own  divine  life 
to  the  heart  of  the  child,  and  thus  make  it  a 
new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus. 

He  could,  if  it  so  pleased  Him,  do  it  without 
any  means.  By  a  mere  act  of  His  will,  God 
could  recreate  the  human  soul.  He  could  do  so 
by  a  word,  as  He  created  the  universe.  Without 
the  contact  of  any  outward  means,  without  di- 
rectly bringing  His  Word  to  them  in  any 
way,  Christ  healed  the  ruler's  son  and  the 
daughter  of  the  Syro-Phenician  woman.  But 
if  He  can  do  this  without  means,  who  will  say 
that  He  cannot  do  the  same  thing  through 
means?  Since,  then,  He  can  accomplish  his  own 
purposes  of  Grace  either  with  or  without 
means,  it  only  remains  for  us  to  inquire,  in  what 


THE  PRESENT,  A  DISPENSATION  OF  MEANS        41 

way  has  it  pleased  God  to  work?  Does  He  in 
the  present  dispensation  work  mediately  or  im- 
mediately? It  will  scarcely  be  disputed  that 
the  present  is  a  dispensation  of  means — that 
even  in  the  domain  of  nature,  and  much  more 
in  the  realm  of  Grace,  He  ordinarily  carries  out 
His  purposes  through  means.  He  chooses  His 
own  means.  They  may  sometimes  seem  foolish- 
ness to  man,  especially  in  the  operations  of  His 
Grace. 

Our  Saviour,  in  working  miracles,  used  some 
means  that  must  have  struck  those  interested 
as  very  unsuitable.  When  He  healed  the  man 
blind  from  his  birth,  He  mixed  spittle  and  clay, 
and  with  this  strange  ointment,  anointed  and 
opened  his  eyes.  Well  might  the  blind  man 
have  said:  *'What  good  can  a  little  earth 
mixed  with  spittle  do?"  Yet  it  pleased  our 
Lord  to  use  it  as  a  means,  in  working  that  stu- 
pendous miracle.  When  Jesus  asked  for  the 
five  barley  loaves  and  two  small  fishes,  to  feed 
the  five  thousand,  even  an  apostle  said :  ' '  What 
are  these  among  so  many?'*  Yes,  what  are 
they?  In  the  hands  of  a  mere  man  nothing — 
nay,  worse  than  nothing;  only  enough  to  taunt 
the  hungry  thousands  and  become  a  cause  of 
strife  and  riot.  But  in  the  hands  of  the  Son 
of  God,  with  His  blessing  on  them,  taken  from 
His  hands,  and  distributed  according  to  His 
Word,  they  became  a  feast  in  the  wilderness. 


4J  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

A  poor  woman,  a  sufferer  for  twelve  years, 
craves  healing  from  our  Lord.  With  a  woman 's 
faith,  timid  though  strong,  she  presses  through 
the  crowd  close  up  to  Jesus,  and  with  her  tremb- 
ling bony  fingers  touches  the  hem  of  His  gar- 
ment. Jesus  perceives  that  virtue  is  gone  out  of 
Him.  The  woman  perceives  that  virtue,  healing 
and  life  are  come  into  her.  There  was  a  trans- 
fer from  Christ's  blessed  life-giving  body,  into 
the  diseased  suffering  body  of  the  woman.  And 
what  was  the  medium  of  the  transfer?  The 
fringe  of  His  garment — a  piece  of  cloth.  Yes, 
if  it  so  pleases  the  mighty  God,  the  everlasting 
Saviour,  He  can  use  a  piece  of  cloth  as  a 
means  to  transfer  healing  and  life  from  Him- 
self to  a  suffering  one. 

The  same  divine  Saviour  now  works  through 
means.  He  has  founded  a  Church,  ordained 
a  ministry,  and  instituted  the  preaching  of  the 
Word  and  the  administration  of  His  own 
sacraments.  Christ  now  works  in  and  through 
His  Church.  Through  her  ministry,  preach- 
ing the  Word,  and  administering  the  sacra- 
ments, the  Holy  Spirit  is  given.  (Augsburg 
Confession,  Article  5.)  When  Christ  sent  forth 
His  apostles  to  make  disciples  of  all  nations.  He 
instructed  them  how  they  were  to  do  it.  The 
commission  correctly  translated,  as  we  have 
it  in  the  Revised  New  Testament  reads  thus: 
"Go  ye,  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all 


THE  PRESENT,  A  DISPENSATION  OF  MEANS       43 

the  nations,  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  I  commanded  you;  and  lo,  I  am  with 
you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
Here  then  is  the  Saviour's  explicit  instruction. 
The  Apostles  are  to  make  disciples.  This  is  the 
object  of  their  mission.  How  are  they  to  do 
it?  By  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the 
triune  God,  and  teaching  them  to  observe  all 
Christ's  commands.  This  is  Christ's  own  ap- 
pointed way  of  applying  His  Grace  to  sinful 
men,  and  bringing  them  out  of  a  state  of  sin 
into  a  state  of  grace. 

And  this  is  the  Way  of  Salvation  in  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  We  begin  with  the  child,  who 
needs  Grace.  We  begin  by  baptizing  that  child 
into  Christ.  We,  therefore,  lay  much  stress  on 
baptism.  We  teach  our  people  that  it  is  sinful, 
if  not  perilous,  to  neglect  the  baptism  of  their 
children.  The  Lutheran  Church  attaches  more 
importance  to  this  divine  ordinance  than  does 
any  other  Protestant  Church.  While  all  around 
us  there  has  been  a  weakening  and  yielding  on 
this  point;  while  the  spirit  of  our  age  and 
country  scorns  the  idea  of  a  child  receiving  di- 
vine Grace  through  baptism;  while  it  has  be- 
come offensive  to  the  popular  ear  to  speak  of 
baptismal  Grace,  our  Church,  wherever  she  has 
been  and  is  true  to  herself,  stands  to-day  where 


44  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

Martin  Luther  and  his  co-workers  stood,  where 
the  confessors  of  Augsburg  stood,  and  where 
the  framers  of  the  Book  of  Concord  stood. 

The  world  still  asks:  **What  good  can  a 
little  water  do?"  We  answer,  first  of  all: 
*' Baptism  is  not  simply  water,  but  it  is  the 
water  comprehended  in  God's  command,  and 
connected  with  God 's  Word. ' '  (Luther 's  Small 
Catechism. )  The  Lutheran  Church  knows  of  no 
baptism  that  is  only  *  *  a  little  water. ' '  We  can- 
not speak  of  such  a  baptism.  Let  it  be  clearly 
understood  that  when  we  speak  of  baptism,  we 
speak  of  it  as  defined  above,  by  Luther.  We 
cannot  separate  the  water  from  the  Word.  We 
would  not  dare  to  baptize  with  water  without 
the  Word.  In  the  words  of  Luther,  that  would 
be  '  *  simply  water,  and  no  baptism. '  *  Let  it  be 
kept  constantly  in  mind  that  whatever  benefits 
and  effects  we  ascribe  to  baptism,  in  the  further 
forcible  words  of  Luther's  Catechism:  **It  is 
not  the  water,  indeed,  that  produces  these  ef- 
fects, but  the  Word  of  God  which  accompanies 
and  is  connected  with  the  water,  and  our  faith 
which  relies  on  the  Word  of  God  connected  with 
the  water."  If  now  the  question  is  further 
asked :  What  good  can  baptism  as  thus  defined 
do?  we  will  try  to  answer,  or,  rather,  we  will 
let  God's  Word  answer.  **What  saith  the 
Scripture?'* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Baptism,  a  Divinely  Appointed  Means  of 
Geace. 

WHEN  we  inquire  into  the  benefits  and  bles- 
sings which  the  Word  of  God  connects  with 
baptism  we  must  be  careful  to  obtain  the  true 
sense  and  necessary  meaning  of  its  declarations. 
It  is  not  enough  to  pick  out  an  isolated  passage 
or  two,  give  them  a  sense  of  our  own,  and  forth- 
with build  on  them  a  theory  or  a  doctrine.  In 
this  way  the  Holy  Scriptures  have  been  made 
to  teach  and  support  the  gravest  errors  and 
most  dangerous  heresies.  In  this  way  many 
persons  ''wrest  the  Scriptures  to  their  own 
destruction/*  On  this  important  point  our 
Church  has  laid  down  certain  plain,  practical, 
safe  and  sound  principles.  By  keeping  in  mind, 
and  following  these  fundamental  directions,  in 
the  interpretation  of  the  divine  Word,  the  plain- 
est searcher  of  the  Scriptures  can  save  himself 
from  great  confusion,  perplexity  and  doubt. 

One  of  the  first  and  most  important  princi- 
ples, insisted  on  by  our  theologians  and  the 
framers  of  our  Confessions,  is  that  a  passage 
of  Scripture  is  always  to  be  taken  in  its  natural, 
45 


46  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

plain  and  literal  sense,  unless  there  is  some- 
tliing  in  the  text  itself,  or  in  the  context,  that 
clearly  indicates  that  it  is  intended  to  convey 
a  figurative  sense. 

Again :  A  passage  is  never  to  be  torn  from 
its  connection,  but  is  to  be  studied  in  connection 
with  what  goes  before  and  follows  after. 

Again — and  this  is  of  the  greatest  importance 
— Scripture  is  to  be  interpreted  by  Scripture. 
As  Quenstedt  says:  ''Passages  which  need  ex- 
planation can  and  should  be  explained  by  other 
passages  that  are  more  clear,  and  thus  the 
Scripture  itself  furnishes  an  interpretation  of 
obscure  expressions,  when  a  comparison  of 
these  is  made  with  those  that  are  more  clear. 
So  that  Scripture  is  explained  by  Scripture. ' ' 

According  to  these  principles,  we  ought  never 
to  be  fully  certain  that  any  doctrine  is  scrip- 
tural, until  we  have  examined  all  that  the  divine 
Word  says  on  the  subject.  In  this  manner  then 
we  wish  to  answer  the  question :  What  is  writ- 
ten as  to  the  benefits  and  blessings  conferred 
in  baptism? 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  commission 
given  to  the  Apostles  in  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  We 
have  seen  that  in  that  commission  our  Lord 
makes  baptism  one  of  the  means  through  which 
the  Holy  Spirit  operates  in  making  disciples. 
In  Mark  xvi.  16,  he  says:  '^He  that  believeth 
and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved."    In  John  iii.  5, 


BAPTISM,  A  DIVINE  MEANS  OF  GRACE  47 

he  says:  "Except  a  man" — i.  e.,  any  one — "be 
born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter 
the  kingdom  of  God."  In  Acts  ii.  38,  the 
Apostle  says:  "Repent  and  be  baptized  every 
one  of  you  for  the  remission  of  your  sins." 
Acts  xxii.  16 :  "Arise  and  be  baptized,  and  wash 
away  thy  sins,  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord." 
Romans  vi.  3:  "Know  ye  not  that  so  many  of 
us  as  were  baptized  into  Christ,  were  baptized 
into  His  dcathf"  Gal.  iii.  27:  "For  as  many 
of  you  as  have  been  baptized  into  Christ,  have 
put  on  Christ."  Eph.  v.  25-26:  "Christ  also 
loved  the  Church,  and  gave  himself  for  it,  that 
He  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the 
washing  of  water  by  the  Word."  Col.  ii.  12: 
"Buried  with  Him  in  baptism,  wherein  ye  are 
also  risen  with  Him  through  the  faith  of  the 
operation  of  God."  Tit.  iii.  5:  "According  to 
His  mercy  He  saved  us  by  the  washing  of  re- 
generation, and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
1  Pet.  iii.  20:  " .  .  .  tchile  the  ark  teas  a  prepar- 
ing, wherein  few,  that  is,  eight  souls,  tcere  saved 
through  water:  which  also  after  a  true  likeness 
doth  now  save  you,  even  baptism,  not  the  put- 
ting away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the  inter- 
rogation of  a  good  conscience  toward  God, 
through  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ." 
(Am.  Stand.) 

These  are  the  principal  passages  which  treat 
of  the  subject  of  baptism.  There  are  a  few 
other  passages  in  which  baptism  is  merely  men- 
tioned, but  not  explained.     There  is  not  one 


48  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

passage  that  teaches  any  thing  different  from 
those  here  quoted. 

All  we  now  ask  of  the  reader  is  to  examine 
these  passages  carefully  to  compare  them  one 
with  the  other  and  to  ask  himself:  What  do 
they  teach  ?  What  is  the  meaning  which  a  plain, 
unprejudiced  reader,  who  has  implicit  confi- 
dence in  the  Word  and  power  of  God,  would  de- 
rive from  them  ?  Can  he  say,  * '  There  is  nothing 
in  baptism?"  *^It  is  of  no  consequence."  *'It 
is  only  a  Church  ceremony,  without  any  particu- 
lar blessing  in  it.*'  Or,  do  the  words  clearly 
teach  that  it  is  something  more  than  a  sign — an 
outward  sign — of  an  invisible  grace  ? 

Look  again  at  the  expressions  of  these  pas- 
sages. We  desire  to  be  clear  here,  because  this 
is  one  of  the  points  on  which  the  Lutheran 
Church  to-day  differs  from  others.  Jesus  men- 
tions wafer  as  well  as  Spirit,  when  speaking  of 
the  new  birth.  "Make  disciples,  (by)  baptizing 
them. "  * ' Be  baptized  for  the  remission  of  your 
sins."  "Be  baptized  and  wash  away  ihy  sin." 
"Baptized  into  Christ."  By  baptism  "put  on 
Christ."  Christ  designs  to  sanctify  and  cleanse 
the  Church  with  "the  washing  of  water  by  the 
Word. "  "  Washing  of  regeneration  and  renew- 
ing of  the  Holy  Ghost."  ".  .  .  water,  which  also 
after  a  true  likeness  saves  you,  even  bap- 
tism .  .  ."  The  language  is  certainly  strong 
and  plain.  Any  principle  of  interpretation,  by 
which  baptismal  Grace  and  regeneration  can 


BAPTISM,  A  DIVINE  MEANS  OF  GRACE  49 

be  eliminated  from  these  passages,  will  over- 
throw every  doctrine  of  our  holy  Christian 
faith. 

Our  Catechism  here  also  teaches  nothing  but 
the  pure  truth  of  the  Word,  when  it  asserts 
that  baptism  ''worketh  forgiveness  of  sins,  de- 
livers from  death  and  the  devil,  and  confers 
everlasting  salvation  on  all  who  believe,  as 
the  Word  and  promise  of  God  declare."  Our 
solid  and  impregnable  Augsburg  Confession, 
also,  when  in  Article  II.  it  confesses  that  the 
now  birth  by  baptism  and  the  Holy  Spirit  de- 
livers from  the  power  and  penalty  of  original 
sin.  Also  in  Article  IX.,  *'of  baptism  they 
teach  that  it  is  necessary  to  salvation,  and  that 
by  baptism  the  Grace  of  God  is  offered,  and  that 
children  are  to  be  baptized,  who  by  baptism 
being  offered  to  God,  are  received  into  God's 
favor."  And  so  with  all  our  other  confessional 
writings. 

The  question  might  here  be  asked:  Is  bap- 
tism so  absolutely  essential  to  salvation,  that 
unbaptized  children  are  lost?  To  this  we  would 
briefly  replv,  that  the  very  men  who  drew  up 
our  Confessions  deny  emphatically  that  it  is 
thus  absolutely  necessary.  Luther,  Melanch- 
thon,  Bugenhagen  and  others,  repudiate  the  idea 
that  an  unbaptized  infant  is  lost.  No  single  ac- 
knowledged theologian  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
ever  taught  this  repulsive  doctrine.    Why  then 


50 


THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 


does  our  Confession  say  baptism  is  necessary 
to  salvation?  It  is  necessary  in  the  same  sense 
in  which  it  is  necessary  to  use  all  Christ's  or- 
dinances. The  necessity  is  ordinary,  not  abso- 
lute. Ordinarily  Christ  bestows  His  Grace  on 
the  child  through  baptism,  as  the  means  or 
channel  through  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is  con- 
ferred. But  when,  through  no  fault  of  its  own, 
this  is  not  applied.  He  can  reach  it  in  some 
other  way. 

As  we  have  seen  above,  He  is  not  so  limited 
to  certain  means,  that  His  Grace  cannot  operate 
without  them.  The  only  thing  on  which  our 
Church  insists  in  the  case  of  a  child  as  abso- 
lutely necessary,  is  the  new  birth.  Ordinarily 
this  is  effected,  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  through 
baptism,  as  the  means  of  Grace.  When  the 
means,  however,  cannot  be  or,  through  no  fault 
of  the  child,  are  not  applied,  the  Spirit  of  God 
can  effect  this  new  birth  in  some  other  way.  He 
is  not  bound  to  means.  And  from  what  we  have 
learned  above  of  the  will  of  God  toward  these 
little  ones  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
He  does  so  reach  and  change  every  infant  that 
dies  unbaptized.  The  position  of  our  Church, 
as  accepted  by  all  her  great  theologians,  was 
tersely  and  clearly  expressed  by  Augustine  in 
the  words,  "Not  the  absence  but  the  contempt 
of  the  sacrament  condemns. ' '    Not  the  child  but 


BAPTISM,  A  DIVINE  MEANS  OF  GKACE  51 

the  parents  are  responsible  for  the  absence  of 
the  Sacrament.    The  guilt  is  on  the  parents. 

While  the  Lutheran  Church,  therefore,  has 
confidence  enough  in  her  dear  heavenly  Father 
and  loving  Saviour,  to  believe  that  her  Lord 
will  never  let  a  little  one  perish,  but  will  always 
regenerate  and  fit  it  for  His  blessed  Kingdom 
ere  He  takes  it  hence,  she  still  strenuously  in- 
sists on  having  the  children  of  all  her. house- 
holds baptized  into  Christ.  It  certainly  cannot 
be  a  matter  of  indifference  to  deprive  one  of 
these  little  ones  of  a  means  of  Grace. 

Others  may  come  and  say:  You  have  no 
authority  in  the  Bible  for  baptizing  infants. 
Without  entering  fully  upon  this  point  we 
briefly  say:  It  is  enough  for  a  Lutheran  to 
know  that  the  divine  commission  is  to  "baptize 
the  nations'* — there  never  was  a  nation  without 
infants.  The  children  need  Grace :  baptism  con- 
fers Grace.  It  is  vspecially  adapted  to  impart 
spiritual  blessings  to  these  little  ones.  We  can- 
not take  the  preached  Word,  but  we  can  take 
the  sacramental  Word  and  apply  it  to  them. 
God  established  infant  membership  in  his 
Church.  He  alone  has  a  right  to  revoke  it.  He 
has  never  done  so.  Therefore  it  stands.  If  the 
Old  Testament  convenant  of  Grace  embraced  in- 
fants, the  New  is  not  narrower,  but  wider. 

The  pious  Baptist  mother's  heart  is  much 
more  scripturally  correct  than  her  head.    She 


52  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATIOIT 

presses  her  babe  to  her  bosom,  and  prays 
earnestly  to  Jesus  to  bless  that  babe.  Her 
heart  knows  and  believes  that  that  dear  child 
needs  the  blessing  of  Jesus,  and  that  He  can 
bestow  the  needed  blessing.  And  yet  she  will 
deny  that  He  can  bless  it  through  His  own 
sacrament — ''the  washing  of  water  hy  the 
Word." 

The  devout  Lutheran  mother  presses  her 
baptized  child  to  her  bosom,  looks  into  its  eyes, 
and  thanks  her  Saviour  from  the  depth  of  her 
heart,  that  He  has  blessed  her  child;  that  He 
has  breathed  into  it  His  divine  life,  washed  it, 
sealed  it,  and  adopted  it  as  His  son  or  daughter. 
How  sweet  the  consolation  to  know  that  her 
precious  little  one  is  a  lamb  of  Christ's  flock, 
''hearing  on  its  body  the  marks  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.'' 

But  Christian  parents  have  not  fulfilled  their 
whole  duty  when  they  have  had  their  children 
baptized  into  Christ.  The  children  certainly 
are  now  in  covenant  relationship  with  Jesus 
Christ.  But  it  is  the  bounden  duty  and  blessed 
privilege  of  father  and  mother  to  keep  their 
little  ones  in  that  covenant  of  Grace. 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Baptismal  Covenant  Can  Be  Kept  Un- 
broken.   Aim  and  Responsibility  of 
Parents. 

WE  have  gone  "to  the  Law  and  to  the  Testi- 
mony" to  find  out  what  the  nature  and 
benefits  of  Baptism  are.  We  have  gathered  out 
of  the  Word  all  the  principal  passages  bearing 
on  this  subject.  We  have  grouped  them  to- 
gether and  have  studied  them  side  by  side.  We 
have  noticed  that  their  sense  is  uniform,  clear 
and  strong.  Unless  we  are  willing  to  throw 
aside  all  sound  principles  of  interpretation,  we 
can  extract  from  the  words  of  inspiration  only- 
one  meaning,  and  that  is  that  the  baptized  child 
is,  by  virtue  of  that  divine  ordinance,  a  new 
creature  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Here  let  us  be  careful,  however,  to  bear  in 
mind  and  keep  before  us  that  we  claim  for  the 
child  only  the  hirth  of  a  new  life.  It  has  been 
horn  of  water  and  the  Spirit.  A  birth  we  know 
is  but  a  very  feeble  beginning  of  an  independent 
life.  So  faint  are  the  flickerings  of  the  natural 
life  at  birth,  that  it  is  often  doubtful  whether 
53 


64  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION" 

any  life  is  present.  The  result  of  a  birth  is  not 
a  full-grown  man,  but  a  very  weak  and  helpless 
babe.  The  little  life  needs  the  most  tender, 
watchful  and  intelligent  fostering  and  care. 

So  is  it  also  in  the  Kingdom  of  Grace.  The 
divine  life  is  there.  But  it  is  life  in  its  first  be- 
ginnings. As  yet  there  is  only  the  seed  and 
germ  of  the  new  life.  And  this  young  spiritual 
life  also  needs  gentle  fostering  and  careful 
nourishing.  Like  the  natural  life  of  the  child, 
so  its  spiritual  life  is  beset  with  perils.  While 
the  germs  of  the  new  life  are  there,  we  must 
not  forget  that  the  roots  of  sin  are  also  still 
there.  Our  Church  does  not  teach  with  Eome 
that  *^sin  (original)  is  destroyed  in  baptism, 
so  that  it  no  longer  exists."  Hollazius  says: 
''The  guilt  and  dominion  of  sin  is  taken  away 
by  baptism,  but  not  the  root  or  tinder  of  sin. ' ' 
Luther  also  writes  that  "Baptism  takes  away 
the  guilt  of  sin,  although  the  material,  called 
concupiscencej  remains." 

Unfortunately  for  the  child  these  roots  of  sin 
will  grow  of  their  own  accord,  like  the  weeds 
in  our  gardens.  They  need  no  fostering  care. 
Not  so  with  the  germs  of  the  new  life.  They, 
like  the  most  precious  plants  of  the  gardens, 
must  be  watched  and  guarded  and  tended  con- 
tinually. Solomon  says;  Prov.  xxix.  15,  ^'A 
child  left  to  himself  bringeth  his  mother  to 


THE  BAPTISMAL  COVENANT  55 

shame.**  And  this  is  only  too  often  true  even 
of  a  baptized  child. 

The  Christian  parent,  therefore,  has  not  ful- 
filled his  whole  duty  to  the  child  when  he  has 
had  it  baptized.  It  is  now  the  parents'  duty; 
or  rather  it  should  be  considered  the  parents' 
most  blessed  privilege  to  keep  that  child  in 
covenant  relationship  with  the  blessed  Re- 
deemer. This  also  belongs  to  the  teaching  of 
the  Church  of  the  Reformation.  This  point, 
however,  many  parents  seem  to  forget.  Many 
who  are  sound  on  the  question  of  baptismal 
Grace,  are  very  unsound  as  to  a  parent's  duty 
to  the  baptized  child. 

Hunnius,  a  recognized  standard  theologian 
of  our  Church,  in  speaking  of  the  responsibil- 
ity of  those  who  present  children  for  baptism 
says  it  is  expected  of  them  First,  to  answer,  in 
behalf  of  the  child,  as  to  the  faith  in  which  it  is 
to  be  baptized,  and  in  which  it  is  to  be  brought 
up.  Second,  to  instruct  the  child  when  it  comes 
to  years  of  discretion,  that  it  has  been  truly  bap- 
tized, as  Christ  has  commanded.  Third,  to  pray 
for  the  child,  that  God  may  keep  it  in  that 
Covenant  of  Grace,  bless  it  in  body  and  spirit, 
and  finally  save  it  with  all  true  believers,  and 
Fourth,  to  use  all  diligence  that  the  child  may 
grow  up  in  that  faith,  which  they  have  con- 
fessed in  the  child's  name,  and  thus  be  pre- 
served from  dangerous  error  and  false  doctrine. 


56  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

That  most  delightful  Lutheran  theologian, 
Luthardt,  says :  '  *  Infant  baptism  is  a  comfort 
beyond  any  other,  but  it  is  also  a  responsibility 
beyond  any  other. ' '  Again :  '  *  As  Christians  we 
know  that  God  has  bestowed  upon  our  children 
not  only  natural,  but  spiritual  gifts.  For  our 
children  have  been  baptized  and  received  by 
baptism  into  the  Covenant  of  Grace.  To  pre- 
serve them  in  this  baptismal  Grace,  to  develop 
in  them  the  life  of  God's  spirit,  this  is  one  side 
of  Christian  education.  To  contend  against 
sin  in  the  child  is  the  other."  Dr.  Schmid,  in 
his  Christian  Ethics,  also  teaches  that  it  is 
possible  to  continue  in  the  uninterrupted  enjoy- 
ment of  baptismal  Grace.  Dr.  Pontoppidan,  in 
his  excellent  explanation  of  Luther's  Small 
Catechism,  asks  the  question:  ''Is  it  possible 
to  keep  one's  baptismal  covenant?"  He  an- 
swers: ''Yes,  by  the  Grace  of  God  it  is  possi- 
ble." 

The  teaching  of  our  Church,  therefore,  is 
that  the  baptized  child  can  grow  up  a  child  of 
Grace  from  infancy  and  that,  under  God,  it 
rests  principally  with  the  parents  or  guardians 
whether  it  shall  be  so.  And  this  Lutheran  idea, 
like  all  others,  is  grounded  in  the  Word  of  God. 

We  note  a  few  examples :  Samuel  was  a  child 
of  prayer,  given  to  his  pious  mother  in  answer 
to  prayer.  She  called  him  Samuel,  i.  e.,  asked 
of  God.     Even  before  his  birth  she  dedicated 


THE  BAPTISMAL  COVENANT  57 

him  to  God.  As  soon  as  he  was  weaned  she 
carried  him  to  the  Tabernacle  and  there  publicly 
consecrated  him  to  the  service  of  the  Most 
High.  From  this  time  forth,  according  to  the 
sacred  record,  he  dwelt  in  God's  Tabernacle 
and  ''ministered  unto  the  Lord  before  Eli." 
As  a  mere  child  God  used  him  as  a  prophet. 
Of  the  prophet  Jeremiah  it  is  written:  (Jer.  i. 
5)  "Before  thou  earnest  forth  out  of  the  womb, 
I  sanctified  thee."  Of  John  the  Baptist  it  is 
written:  (Luke  i.  15)  "He  shall  be  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  even  from  his  mother's  womb." 
To  Timothy,  Paul  says:  "From  a  child  thou 
hast  known  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  are  able 
to  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation,"  and  in  speak- 
ing of  Timothy's  faith  Paul  says  that  that  faith 
"dwelt  first  in  thy  grandmother  Lois,  and  thy 
mother  Eunice."  Psalms  Ixxi.  5-6:  "Thou  art 
my  trust  from  my  youth.  By  thee  have  I  been 
holden  up  from  the  womb." 

It  is  therefore  possible  for  God  not  only  to 
give  His  Grace  to  a  child  but  to  keep  that  child 
in  His  Grace  all  its  days.  To  dispute  this  is, 
simply,  to  dispute  the  record  that  God  gave. 

Lest  some  one  should  still  say,  however,  that 
the  examples  above  noted  are  isolated  and  ex- 
ceptional, we  note  further,  that  the  tenor  of  the 
whole  Word  is  in  harmony  with  this  idea.  No- 
where in  the  whole  Bible  is  it  even  intimated 
that  it  is  God's  desire  or  plan  that  children 


58  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

must  remain  outside  of  the  covenant  of  Grace, 
and  have  no  part  or  lot  in  the  benefits  of 
Christ's  redeeming  work  until  they  come  to 
years  of  discretion  and  can  choose  for  them- 
selves. This  modern  idea  is  utterly  foreign  and 
contradictory  to  all  we  know  of  God,  of  His 
scheme  of  redemption,  and  of  His  dealings  with 
His  people,  either  in  the  old  or  new  dispensa- 
tion. He  ordained  that  infants  at  eight  days 
old  should  be  brought  into  His  covenant.  He 
recognized  infant  children  as  partakers  of  the 
blessings  of  His  covenant.  "Out  of  the  mouth 
of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected 
praise;''  "Suffer  them  to  come  unto  Me." 
Everywhere  it  is  taken  for  granted  that  the 
children  who  have  received  either  the  Old  or 
New  Testament  sacrament  of  initiation  are  His. 
Nowhere  are  parents  exhorted  to  use  their  en- 
deavors to  have  such  children  converted,  as 
though  they  had  never  been  touched  by  divine 
Grace.  But  everyw^here  they  are  exhorted  to 
keep  them  in  that  relation  to  their  Lord,  into 
which  His  own  ordiance  has  brought  them.  Gen. 
xviii.  19,  "I  know  that  he  tvill  command  his 
household  after  him,  and  that  they  shall  keep 
the  way  of  the  Lord."  Psalm  Ixxviii.  6,  7,  "That 
the  generation  to  come  might  knoiv  them,  even 
the  children  which  should  be  born,  which  should 
arise  and  declare  them  to  their  children,  that 
they  might  set  their  hope  in  God,  and  not  forget 


THE  BAPTISMAL  COVENANT 


59 


the  works  of  God,  but  keep  His  command- 
ments.'* Prov.  xxii.  6,  ''Train  up  a  child  in  the 
way  he  should  go;  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 
depart  from  it."  Eph.  vi.  4,  "Bring  them  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

Let  the  baptized  child  then  be  looked  upon 
as  already  belonging  to  Christ.  Let  the  parents 
not  worry  as  though  it  could  not  be  His  until 
it  experiences  a  change  of  heart.  That  heart 
has  been  changed.  The  germs  of  faith  and  love 
are  there.  If  the  parent  appreciates  this  fact 
and  does  his  part,  there  will  be  developed,  very 
early,  the  truest  confidence  and  trust  in  Christ, 
and  the  purest  love  to  God.  From  the  germs 
will  grow  the  beautiful  plant  of  child-trust  and 
child-love.  The  graces  of  the  new  life  may  be 
thus  early  drawn  out,  so  that  the  child  in  after 
years  will  never  know  of  a  time  when  it  did  not 
trust  and  love  God  and  as  a  result  of  this  love 
hate  sin.  This  is  the  ideal  of  God's  AVord.  It  is 
the  ideal  which  every  Christian  parent  should 
strive  to  realize  in  the  children  given  by  God, 
and  given  to  God  in  His  own  ordinance.  Can 
it  be  done? 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Home  Influence  and  Training  in  Theib 

Relation  to  the  Keeping  of  the 

Baptismal  Covenant 

ACCORDING  to  the  last  chapter,  it  is  indeed 
a  high  and  holy  ideal  that  every  Christian 
parent  should  set  before  him  in  regard  to  his 
children.  Every  child  that  God  gives  to  a 
Christian  parent  is  to  be  so  treated  that,  from 
the  hour  of  its  baptism,  it  is  to  be  a  son  or  a 
daughter  of  God.  It  is  to  be  so  fostered  and 
nurtured  and  trained  that,  from  its  earliest  self- 
consciousness,  it  is  to  grow  day  by  day  in 
knowledge  and  in  Grace.  As  it  increases  in 
stature,  so  it  is  to  increase  in  wisdom  and  in 
favor  with  God  and  with  man. 

In  order  that  this  may  be  realized,  it  is  first 
of  all  necessary  that  there  be  the  proper  sur- 
roundings. We  cannot  expect  that  parent  to 
draw  out  these  graces  of  the  new  life  in  the 
child,  who  is  not  himself  imbued  with  a  spirit 
of  living  faith  and  fervent  love  to  Christ.  In 
the  beautiful  words  of  Luthardt:  ''Religion 
must  first  approach  the  child  in  the  form  of 
60 


HOME  INFLUENCE  AND  TRAINING  61 

life,  and  afterward  in  the  form  of  instruction. 
Let  religion  be  the  atmosphere  by  which  the 
child  is  surrounded,  the  air  which  it  breathes. 
The  whole  spirit  of  the  home,  its  order,  its 
practice — that  world  in  which  the  child  finds 
himself  so  soon  as  he  knows  himself — this  it  is 
which  must  make  religion  appear  to  him  a  thing 
natural  and  self-evident." 

And  this  is  especially  important  for  the 
mother.  It  is  while  resting  on  the  mother's 
bosom  and  playing  at  the  mother's  knee,  that 
the  child  is  receiving  impressions  that  become 
stones  for  character  building.  The  father,  of 
course,  is  not  released  from  responsibility.  He 
too  is  to  set  a  holy  example,  to  make  impres- 
sions for  good  and  to  use  all  his  influence  to  di- 
rect the  thoughts  and  inclinations  of  the  child 
upward.  The  man  who  does  not  help  in  the 
religious  training  of  his  own  children  is  not  fit 
to  be  a  father.  But  it  is  after  all  with  the 
mother  that  the  little  child  spends  most  of  its 
time  and  receives  most  of  its  impressions.  Oh, 
that  every  mother  were  a  Hannah,  an  Elizabeth, 
an  Eunice.  Then  w^ould  there  be  more  Samuels, 
Johns  and  Timothys.  Let  us  have  more  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ  in  the  heart  of  the  mother  and 
father,  and  in  the  home.  Let  the  child  learn, 
with  the  first  dawnings  of  self-consciousness, 
that  Jesus  is  known  and  loved  and  honored  in 


62  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

the  home,  and  there  will  be  little  or  no  trouble 
about  the  future. 

But  the  child  must  be  instructed.  Begin 
early.  Let  it  learn  to  pray  as  soon  as  it  can 
speak.  Let  it  use  its  first  lispings  and  stam- 
merings in  speaking  words  of  prayer.  We 
quote  again  from  Luthardt:  ''Let  it  not  be 
objected  that  the  child  cannot  understand  the 
prayer.  The  way  of  education  is  by  practice 
to  understanding,  not  by  understanding  to  prac- 
tice. And  the  child  will  have  a  feeling  and  a 
presentiment  of  what  it  cannot  understand.  The 
world  of  heavenly  things  is  not  an  incompre- 
hensible region  to  the  child,  but  the  home  of  its 
spirit.  The  child  will  speak  to  his  Father  in 
Heaven  without  needing  much  instruction  as  to 
who  that  Father  is.  It  seems  as  though  God 
were  a  well-known  friend  of  his  heart.  The 
child  will  love  to  pray.  If  mother  forgets  it, 
the  child  will  not." 

Therefore,  oh,  ye  parents!  pray  for  your 
child.  Pray  with  your  child.  Teach  that  child 
to  pray.  The  writer  knows  of  a  little  girl  who 
came  home  from  Sunday-school  and  said: 
' '  Mamma,  why  don 't  you  ever  pray  ? ' '  What  a 
rebuke ! 

The  ciiild  must  be  taught  the  truth  of  God's 
Word.  It  also  must  be  sanctified,  i.  e.,  made 
more  and  more  holy  "through  the  truth."  As 
a  child  it  needs  first  the  'Unilk  of  the  Word." 


HOME  INFLUENCE  AND  TRAINING  63 

It  is  not  desirable,  neither  is  it  necessary,  to 
try  to  teach  the  very  young  child  doctrines  and 
abstract  truths.  Neither  ought  the  child  to  be 
required  to  learn  by  rote  long  passages  from 
the  Scriptures.  In  this  way  some  well-meaning 
but  mistaken  parents  make  the  Word  a  burden 
to  their  children,  and  it  becomes  odious  in  their 
eyes.  There  are  other  and  better  ways.  Begin 
by  showing  the  child  Bible  pictures,  even  if  it 
should  soil  the  book  a  little.  Better  a  thousand 
times  have  the  lessons  of  life  and  love  from 
the  old  Bible  graven  on  the  heart  of  the  child, 
than  to  have  its  fine  engravings  as  a  parlor 
ornament  for  strangers.  In  our  day  there  is 
also  an  abundant  supply  of  Bible  pictures  and 
story  books  for  children.  Those  parents  who 
have  never  tried  it  will  be  surprised  to  see  the 
interest  the  little  ones  will  take  in  these.  With 
the  pictures  connect  the  stories  of  the  Bible. 
And  where  are  the  stories  better  calculated  to 
interest  a  child  than  those  same  old  stories,  that 
have  edified  a  hundred  generations  ?  When  will 
children  ever  weary  of  hearing  of  Joseph,  and 
Moses,  and  David,  and  Daniel,  and  especially 
of  Him  who  is  the  special  Friend  of  children? 
It  will  be  easy  to  so  connect  the  teachings  of  the 
Word  with  these  pictures  and  stories  that  very 
young  children  will  be  able  to  distinguish  right 
from  wrong,  to  know  and  hate  sin,  and  to  be 
drawn  ever  nearer  to  the  blessed  Jesus. 


64  THE  WAY  OF  SAI^VATION 

As  they  become  able  to  study,  to  think  and  to 
comprehend  it,  the  judicious  parent  will  be  glad 
to  avail  himself  of  the  help  of  Luther's  Cate- 
chism. Here  the  more  important  teachings  of 
the  Word  are  summarized  and  systematized. 

Most  parents  indeed  are  glad  to  shirk  this 
duty,  and  flatter  themselves  that  if  they  send 
their  children  to  catechetical  class  when  they 
grow  old  enough  they  have  performed  their 
whole  duty.  Such  parents  do  not  perhaps 
know,  that  Martin  Luther  wrote  his  Small 
Catechism  especial^  for  family  use.  Let  them 
take  their  Church  Books  and  turn  to  the  Cate- 
chism, and  they  will  find  that  Luther  heads  the 
Ten  Commandments  with  the  words :  "In  the 
plain  form  in  which  they  are  to  be  taught  by 
the  head  of  the  family." 

So  also  with  the  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
and  the  Sacraments.    This  is  Luther's  idea. 

It  is  the  true  idea.  It  belongs  to  the  Way  of 
Salvation  in  the  Lutheran  Church.  It  is  the 
custom,  still  practiced  in  our  older  Lutheran 
churches.  The  pastor,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter, 
is  only  to  help  the  parents,  and  not  to  do  it  all 
for  them.  The  teaching  of  the  Catechism  at 
home,  will  give  the  parents  an  opportunity  to 
speak  of  and  to  explain  what  sin  is,  what  faith 
is,  what  prayer  is,  and  what  the  sacraments  are. 

We  would  impress  also  the  importance  of  in- 
structing the  child  concerning  its  own  baptism. 


HOME  INFLUENCE  AND  TRAINING  65 

Let  it  understand  not  only  the  fact  of  its  bap- 
tism, but  the  nature,  benefits  and  obligations 
of  the  same.  It  certainly  has  a  most  salutary 
effect  to  impress  the  thought  on  the  child  fre- 
quently that  it  was  given  to  Christ  and  belongs 
to  Him — that  He  has  received  it  as  His  own, 
and  adopted  it  into  the  family  of  the  redeemed. 

Here  also  there  is  a  sad  neglect  on  the  part 
of  parents.  Many  never  say  a  word  to  their 
children  about  their  baptism.  Many  children 
even  grow  up  and  know  not  whether  they  are 
baptized  or  not.  This  is  certainly  un-Scriptural 
and  un-Lutheran.  ''Know  ye  not/'  says  Paul, 
as  if  he  said,  have  you  forgotten  it  I  ''that  as 
many  of  us  as  have  been  baptized  into  Christ 
have  been  baptized  into  His  death?"  Doubtless 
if  we  appreciated  our  own  baptism  as  we 
should,  it  would  be  a  constant  source  of  com- 
fort, a  never-failing  fountain  of  Grace  to  us, 
and  to  our  children. 

The  Apostles  frequently  speak  of  the 
"Church  that  is  in  the  house."  By  this  they 
mean  such  a  household  as  we  have  tried  to  por- 
tray— a  home  where  the  religion  of  our  blessed 
Saviour  permeates  the  whole  atmosphere; 
where  the  Word  of  God  dwells  richly;  where 
there  are  altars  of  prayer  and  closets  for  prayer 
— a  home  where  Jesus  is  a  daily,  a  well-known 
Guest ;  where  the  children,  baptized  into  Christ, 
are  nourished  with  the  milk  of  the  Word,  so 


66  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

that  they  grow  thereby,  increasing  more  and 
more,  growing  up  unto  Him  who  is  the  Head, 
even  Christ.  In  such  a  home  the  Church  is  in 
the  house,  and  the  household  in  the  Church. 
Blessed  home!  Blessed  children,  who  have 
such  parents,  who  have  thus  learned  God's  ways 
of  Grace!  No  anxious,  restless  parents  there, 
hoping  and  praying  that  their  children  may  be 
converted.  No  confused,  repelled  children 
there,  crying  because  Jesus  will  not  love  them 
till  they  ''get  religion."  On  the  contrary, 
parents  and  children,  kneeling  at  one  altar, 
children  of  one  Father,  with  the  same  trust, 
the  same  hope,  the  same  Lord — hand  in  hand 
they  go  from  the  church  in  the  house  to  the 
house  of  God's  Church. 

Says  Dr.  Cuyler,  an  eminent  Presbyterian, 
'  *  The  children  of  Christian  parents  ought  never 
to  need  conversion." 


CHAPTEB  VII. 

The  Sunday  School  in  Its  Eelation  to  the 
Baptized  Children  of  Christian  Parents. 

WE  have  tried  to  set  forth  the  Lutheran  idea 
of  a  Christian  home.  In  such  a  home, 
called,  "a  Church  in  the  House,"  all  ought  to  be 
Christians.  The  children  having  been  given 
and  consecrated  to  Christ  in  holy  baptism,  and 
having  had  His  renewing  and  life-giving  Grace 
imparted  to  them  through  that  Sacrament,  are 
to  be  kept  in  that  relationship  with  Him. 

The  popular  idea  that  they  must  of  necessity, 
during  the  most  impressible  and  important 
period  of  their  existence,  belong  to  the  world, 
the  flesh  and  the  devil,  is  utterly  foreign  to  the 
Lutheran,  or  Scriptural  view.  That  the  child 
is  fated,  for  a  number  of  years,  to  be  under  the 
influence  of  evil,  and  to  be  permitted  to  **sow 
wild  oats"  before  divine  Grace  can  reach  it,  is 
certainly  a  principle  that  is  contradictory  to  the 
whole  scheme  of  salvation.  Yet  this  seems  to 
be  the  idea  of  those  parents  who  will  not  believe 
that  God  can  reach  and  change  the  nature  of  a 
child,  and  bring  it  out  of  the  state  of  nature 
67 


bo  THE   WAY   OF   SALVATION 

into  the  state  of  Grace,  and  keep  it  in  that 
Grace.  These  people  treat  their  children  much 
as  a  farmer  does  his  colts,  letting  them  run 
wild  for  a  while,  and  then  violently  breaking 
them  in. 

This  pernicious  idea  has  also  obtained  sway 
to  an  alarming  extent  in  the  Sunday-school 
system  of  our  land.  The  children  in  the  Sun- 
day-school, whether  baptized  or  not,  whether 
from  Christian  or  from  Christless  homes,  are 
looked  upon  as  outsiders,  impenitent  sinners, 
utter  strangers  to  Christ  and  His  Grace,  until 
they  experience  such  a  marked  change  that 
they  can  tell  exactly  where  and  when  and  how 
they  were  converted.  Hence  the  popular  idea 
that  it  is  the  object  of  the  Sunday-school  to 
convert  the  children.  This  seems  to  be  the  un- 
derlying principle  of  both  the  American  Sun- 
day-school Union  and  the  American  Tract 
Society ;  institutions  otherwise  so  excellent  that 
we  are  loth  to  say  aught  against  either.  This 
idea  pervades  also  the  undenominational  helps 
and  comments  of  the  International  Lesson  Sys- 
tem. This  is  the  undertone  of  the  great  mass 
of  undenominational  Sunday-school  hymnology. 
It  is  the  key-note  of  the  County,  State,  National 
and  International  Sunday-school  Conventions 
and  Institutes.  So  popular  and  wide-spread  is 
this  idea  that  many  Lutheran  pastors,  Sunday- 
school  teachers  and  workers  have  unconsciously 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL   AND    BAPTIZED    CHILDREN      69 

imbibed  it.  Even  some  of  our  own  Church 
papers,  sometimes  publish  articles  setting 
forth  the  idea  that  it  is  the  object  of  the 
Sunday-school  to  Christianise  the  children. 
As  though  the  baptized  children  of  the 
Church,  the  children  of  devout  Christian  par- 
ents, had  been  heathen,  until  Christianized  by 
the  Sunday-school!  Some  of  our  old  Sunday- 
school  constitutions  also  set  it  down  as  the  ob- 
ject of  the  school  to  '4ead  the  children  to 
Christ,"  or  to  ''labor  for  their  conversion." 

Now  we  believe  that  this  idea  is  un-scriptural 
and  therefore  un-Lutheran.  If  what  we  have 
written  in  the  preceding  chapters  on  baptismal 
Grace,  the  baptismal  covenant,  and  the  possi- 
bility of  keeping  that  covenant,  is  true,  then  this 
popular  idea,  is  false.  And  vice  versa,  if  this 
popular  view  is  correct,  then  the  whole  Lu- 
theran teaching  of  baptism,  baptismal  Grace, 
and  the  baptismal  covenant  must  fall  to  the 
ground. 

But  notwithstanding  the  immense  array  of 
opposition,  we  still  believe  that  the  Lutheran 
doctrine  is  nothing  else  than  the  pure  teaching 
of  God's  Avord.  Where  we  have  the  "Church 
in  the  House/'  there  we  have  lambs  of  Christ's 
flock.  Ah,  how  many  more  we  could  have,  how 
many  more  we  would  have,  if  the  fathers  and 
mothers  in  the  Church  understood  this  precious 
article  of  our  faith,  and  prayerfully  built  their 


70  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

home  life  thereon!  Then  would  there  be  a 
more  regular  and  healthful  growth  of  the 
Church,  and  the  necessity  for  fitful,  spasmodic 
revival  efforts  would  cease. 

From  our  Christian  homes  the  baptized  chil- 
dren of  the  Church  come  to  the  Sunday-school. 
How  is  the  school  to  treat  them? — We  speak 
now  of  the  baptized  children  from  Christian 
homes;  we  shall  speak  of  the  unbaptized  and 
untrained  further  on. 

These  children,  with  all  their  childish  way- 
wardness and  restlessness,  do  generally  love 
Jesus.  They  do  trust  in  Him,  and  are  unhappy 
when  they  know  that  they  have  committed  a  sin 
against  Him.  They  do,  when  taught,  pray  to 
Him,  believe  that  He  hears  their  prayers  and 
loves  them.  Shall  the  teacher  now  begin  to 
impress  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  these 
little  ones  the  idea  that  they  are  not  yet 
Christ's,  and  that  Christ  has  nothing  to  do  with 
them,  except  to  seek  and  call  them,  until  they 
are  converted?  And  shall  they  go  home  from 
Sunday-school  with  the  impression  that  all  their 
prayers  have  been  empty  and  useless,  because 
their  hearts  have  not  been  changed?  Dare  the 
Sunday-school  thus  confuse  the  child,  raise 
doubts  as  to  Christ's  forgiveness  and  love,  and 
*' quench  the  Spirit f**  Oh  how  sad,  that  thus 
thousands  of  children  have  their  first  love,  their 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND   BAPTIZED   CHILDREN      71 

first  trust,  quenched  by  those  who  have  more 
zeal  than  knowledge ! 

No,  no,  these  are  Christ's  lambs.  They  come 
with  His  marks  upon  them.  Let  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher  work  in  harmony  with  the  mother 
who  gave  these  children  to  Christ  Let  the 
whole  atmosphere  of  the  school  impress  on  that 
child  the  precious  truth  that  it  is  Jesus'  little 
lamb.  Feed  that  lamb,  feed  it  with  the  sincere 
milk  of  the  Word.  Lead  that  lamb  gently ;  teach 
it  to  understand  its  relation  to  the  Great  Shep- 
herd, to  know  Him,  to  rejoice  in  His  love,  to 
love  His  voice,  to  follow  His  leadings  more  and 
more  closely. 

Instead  of  singing  doubtfully  and  dolefully: 

"I  am  young,  but  I  must  die. 
In  my  grave  I  soon  shall  lie. 
Am  I  ready  now  to  go, 
If  the  will  of  God  be  so?" 


or. 


or, 


or. 


"Child  of  sin  and  sorrow 
Filled  with  dismay, 

Wait  not  for  to-morrow; 
Yield  thee  to-day." 


"Depth  of  mercy,  can  there  be 
Mercy  still  reserved  for  me?" 


'Hasten,  sinner,  to  be  wise. 
Stay  not  for  to-morrow's  sun," 


72  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

or, 

"I  can  but  perish  if  I  go, 

I  am  resolved  to  try, 
For,  if  I  stay  away,  I  know 
I  shall  forever  die." 

or, 

"When  saints  gather  round  Thee,  dear  Saviour  above. 
And  hasten  to  crown  Thee  with  jewels  of  love. 
Amid  those  bright  mansions  of  glory  so  fair — 
Oh,  tell  me,  dear  Saviour,  if  I   shall  be  there!" 

Some  of  these  sentiments  are  unscriptural. 
Some  may  do  for  grown  up  penitent  prodigals. 
But  all  are  out  of  place  on  the  lips  of  the  bap- 
tized children  of  the  Church.  Let  such  rather 
joyfully  sing : 

**I  am  Jesus'  little  lamb. 
Therefore  glad  and  gay  I  am; 
Jesus  loves  me,  Jesus  knows  me. 
All  that's  good  and  fair  He  shows  me. 
Tends  me  every  day  the  same. 
Even  calls  me  by  my  name," 

and  such  other  cheerful  and  healthy  hymns  as 
breathe  the  spirit  of  the  Church  of  the  Ref  orma- 
tion. 

This  we  believe  to  be  the  object  of  our  Sun- 
day-schools, as  far  as  the  baptized  children  of 
Christian  parents  are  concerned.  They  are  to 
be  helps,  to  keep  the  children  true  to  their 
baptismal  covenant,  and  to  enable  them  to  grow 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND   BAPTIZED   CHILDREN      73 

strong  and  ever  stronger  against  sin  and  in 
holiness.  Jesus  did  not  tell  Peter  to  convert, 
but  to  feed  His  lambs. 

From  these  considerations  we  see  how  impor- 
tant it  is  for  Lutheran  Sunday-schools  to  have 
teachers  who  "know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it 
he  true;"  who  are  ''rooted  and  grounded  in  the 
faith;"  who  are  "ready  always  to  give  an  an- 
swer to  every  man  that  asketh  them  a  reason  of 
the  hope  that  is  in  them;"  who  are  "apt  to 
teach." 

A  teacher  who  does  not  understand  and  ap- 
preciate the  Lutheran  doctrine  of  baptism  is 
out  of  place  in  a  Lutheran  Sunday-school.  It 
is  certainly  not  desirable  to  have  the  child  in- 
structed at  home  that  it  was  given  to  Christ  in 
baptism,  received  and  owned  by  Him  and  be- 
longs to  Him,  and  then  have  the  Sunday-school 
teacher  teach  it  that  until  it  experiences  some 
remarkable  change,  which  the  teacher  cannot 
at  all  explain,  it  belongs  not  to  Christ,  but  to 
the  unconverted  world.  The  teaching  of  the 
pulpit,  the  catechetical  class,  the  home  and  the 
Sunday-school,  ought  certainly  to  be  in  perfect 
harmony — especially  so  on  the  vital  point  of  the 
personal  relation  of  the  child  to  the  Saviour 
and  His  salvation.  To  have  clashing  and  con- 
tradictory instruction  is  a  sure  way  to  sow  the 
seeds  of  doubt  and  skepticism. 

We  must  have  sound  instruction  and  influence 


74  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

in  the  Sunday-school,  and  to  this  end  we  must 
have  sound  and  clear  helps  and  equipments  for 
teacher  and  pupil.  The  worship  of  the  school, 
the  singing,  the  opening  and  closing  exercises, 
must  all  be  in  harmony  with  this  great  funda- 
mental idea  of  feeding  those  who  are  Christ's 
lambs. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Sunday  School — Its  Relation  to  Those 

IN  Covenant  Relationship  with  Christ, 

AND  Also  to  the  Unbaptized  and 

Wandering. 

WE  are  still  speaking  of  the  dealing  of  the 
Sunday-school  with  the  baptized  children 
of  Christian  parents.  We  have  seen  how  im- 
portant it  is  that  the  Sunday-school  work  in 
harmony  with  the  pastor  and  the  parent.  We 
have  seen  that,  to  this  end,  it  is  especially  im- 
portant that  the  instruction  of  the  teacher  be 
in  harmony  with  the  doctrine  of  our  Church  on 
baptismal  Grace,  and  the  keeping  of  the  baptis- 
mal covenant. 

Here,  however,  we  meet  with  a  practical  diffi- 
culty. Too  many  of  our  teachers  are  not  clear 
themselves  on  this  subject.  Their  own  early 
instruction  may  have  been  imperfect.  Their 
whole  environment  may  have  been  unfavorable 
to  rooting  and  grounding  them  in  this  faith, 
once  delivered  to  the  saints.  This  old-fashioned 
faith,  as  we  have  seen,  has  become  un- 
75 


76  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

popular  with  the  masses  even  of  professing 
Christians. 

The  whole  current  of  the  religionism  of  the 
day  is  against  it.  In  many  localities  and  circles, 
to  profess  this  faith  is  to  invite  ridicule  and  op- 
position. The  Lutheran  Church  in  this  matter, 
as  in  others,  is  considered  behind  the  age,  be- 
cause the  age  is  away  ahead  of  Christ  and  the 
Apostles,  the  Church  Fathers  and  the  Ee- 
formers. 

What  wonder  then  that  in  many  places,  our 
members,  on  whom  we  must  depend  for  teach- 
ers, have  unconsciously  drifted  away  from  the 
old  landmarks,  and  are  altogether  at  sea  as  to 
God^s  means  and  methods  of  Grace,  especially 
with  the  children? 

It  is,  therefore,  a  matter  of  the  gravest  im- 
portance that  our  Church  place  in  the  hands  of 
her  willing  but  inexperienced  teachers  such 
plain,  pactical  and  full  helps  and  equipments  as 
will  enable  them  to  be  safe  and  successful  in- 
structors in  our  Sunday-schools.  Our  good 
teachers  are  always  willing  to  learn.  They  need 
to  be  and  want  to  be  first  taught.  They  need 
clear,  sound  exposition,  illustration  and  appli- 
cation of  every  lesson  for  themselves,  before 
they  can  successfully  teach  others.  They  need 
to  be  shown  in  every  lesson,  how  the  divine 
Word  everywhere  sets  forth  the  precious  doc- 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL,  AND  UNBAPTIZED  CHILDREN     77 

trines  of  our  Church.*  They  need  to  be  shown 
over  and  over  again,  how  these  doctrines  are 
to  be  impressed  and  applied  to  the  heart,  con- 
science, and  life  of  the  pupil ;  and  how  the  truth 
is  to  be  so  instilled  that  it  may,  by  means  of 
every  lesson,  awaken  and  deepen  a  sense  of 
sinfulness  and  repentance  therefor,  and  in- 
crease faith  and  love  for  the  dear  Saviour. 
Every  lesson  that  does  not  make  sin  more  hate- 
ful and  Christ  more  precious  is,  in  so  far,  a 
failure. 

From  what  we  have  learned  in  the  last  chap- 
ter, a  Lutheran  Sunday-school  cannot  safely  use 
the  literature,  whether  lesson  leaves,  lesson 
helps,  or  hymns,  of  others.  And  this  simply  be- 
cause their  sentiment  is  not  only  at  variance 
with,  but  openly  hostile  to  our  faith.  It  is  there- 
fore even  more  important  for  our  Church  than 
for  any  other,  to  furnish  all  the  necessary 
equipments  for  good,  sound,  live  Sunday- 
schools.  Our  equipments  ought  to  aim  to  be- 
come more  and  more  superior  to  all  others.  The 
Church   should   strive   to   constantly   improve 

*  For  all  this  we  need  Teacher-training  Classes,  taught 
by  the  pastors,  in  every  Sunday  School.  S.  S.  Teachers' 
Institutes  and  summer  schools,  real  normals,  of  long 
enough  duration,  for  S.  S.  teachers  and  Church  workers. 
If  our  Church  does  not  furnish  these  helps  for  her  S.  S. 
teachers  she  must  not  complain  if  they  go  elsewhere  for 
their  training.  In  every  great  city  we  need  a  Lutheran 
Bible  School. 


78  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

them  until  they  become  so  desirable  and  attrac- 
tive that  no  Lutheran  school  would  think  of 
exchanging  them  for  any  others.* 

We  hope  to  see  the  day  when  our  Church  will 
lead  in  all  these  practical  enterprises,  even  as 
she  has  led  and  still  leads  in  the  sphere  of 
sound  doctrine. 

In  these  two  chapters  on  Sunday-school  work, 
we  have  thus  far  spoken  only  of  the  relation 
of  the  school  to  the  baptized  children  of  Chris- 
tian parents.  A  Sunday-school  has,  however, 
by  no  means  fulfilled  its  mission  by  looking 
only  after  those  who  are  already  lambs  of  the 
flock.  A  Sunday-school,  like  a  congregation, 
to  be  true  to  itself  and  to  its  divine  Master, 
must  be  a  missionary  institution.  In  every 
community  there  are  lambs  who  have  never 
been  in  the  flock  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  or  have 
already  wandered  away.  There  are  children 
who  have  never  been  either  baptized  or  in- 
structed in  heavenly  things.  Or,  if  baptized, 
they  have  been  permitted  to  grow  up  after- 
wards as  wild  as  heathen  children.  Yes,  even  in 
the  homes  of  members  of  our  own  Church,  there 
are  children,  whether  baptized  or  not,  who  are 
thus  growing  up  utterly  neglected.  If  baptized, 
they  don't  even  know  it.  Much  less  do  they 
know  the  significance  of  their  baptism. 

*  See  Problems  and  PossibiUties  p.  103  ff.  and  also  Chap- 
ter X  of  same  book. 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND  UNBAPTIZED  CHILDKEN     79 

It  is  the  mission  of  the  Sunday-school  to 
gather  in  these  destitute  ones,  from  the  street, 
and  from  their  Christless  homes.  This  is  one 
effectual  form  of  Lutheran  Evangelism.  The 
Sunday-school  must  become  a  spiritual  home 
for  them.  The  earnest  teacher  can  and  ought 
to  find  out  who  of  his  pupils  belong  to  this  class, 
and  apply  to  such  the  needed  instruction  and 
exhortation.  In  their  case  it  is  truly  the  object 
of  the  Sunday-school  to  lead  them  to  Jesus,  to 
labor  for  their  conversion,  to  Christianize  them. 
This,  as  a  matter  of  course,  also  applies  to 
those,  even  from  Christian  homes,  who  were 
baptized,  and  perhaps  also,  to  some  extent,  in- 
structed in  divine  things,  but  who  have  gone 
astray,  and  have  thus  fallen  from  their  bap- 
tismal covenant.  All  such,  who  are  not  at 
present  in  covenant  relationship  with  Christ, 
who  are  turned  away  from  Christ,  must  be 
turned  back,  i.  e.,  converted. 

Now  this  difficult  work,  this  great  change,  can 
be  accomplished  only  through  the  power  of 
God's  Word.  '^The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect, 
converting  the  soul.*'  "The  Gospel  of  Christ  is 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.*'  The  words 
of  Christ,  "they  are  spirit  and  they  are  life." 
If  sinners,  whether  young  or  old,  are  to  be  re- 
claimed for  Christ,  it  must  be  through  that 
Word  which  "is  quick" — i.  e.,  fuU  of  life — "and 
powerful  and  sharper  than  any  two-edged 
sword." 


80  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Let  the  Sunday-school  teacher  depend  on 
nothing  else  than  this  Word  of  God.  It  is  al- 
ways accompanied  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  It  is 
the  living  soul  of  the  new  life.  Let  it  be  used 
prayerfully.  Let  it  be  taught  carefully.  Let  it 
be  taught  clearly.  Let  it  be  impressed  and  ap- 
plied to  heart,  and  conscience,  and  life.  Drive 
it  home  personally  and  individually  to  the  im- 
penitent pupil.  See  him  by  himself,  visit  him  in 
his  home,  teach  him  in  his  class.  Cease  not 
your  prayers  and  your  efforts  till  the  Word  so 
lodge  and  fasten  itself  in  the  mind  and  con- 
science that  it  makes  him  realize  his  own  sinful- 
ness and  his  need  of  a  Saviour,  and  also  that 
Saviour's  readiness  to  save.  This  is  God's  way 
of  salvation.  This  is  the  Way  of  Salvation  in 
the  Lutheran  Church.  The  Sunday-school 
teacher  who  follows  this  way  will  win  souls. 
The  impenitent  sinners  of  his  class  will  be 
brought  to  repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  in 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  or  in  one  word,  they 
will  be  converted ;  whilst  those  who  are  already 
Christ's  will  grow  in  Grace  and  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

Where  this  is  faithfully  and  persistently  done 
there  the  Sunday-school  teacher  is  doing  a  truly 
scriptural  and  a  most  blessed  evangelistic  work. 
Let  us  have  more  of  it.  It  is  sorely  needed  in 
city,  in  village  and  in  the  open  country. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Catechisation. 

WE  have  spoken  of  the  importance  and  bene- 
fits of  home  training  and  instruction.  We 
endeavored  to  show  that  Christian  parents  are 
under  the  most  solemn  obligation  to  instruct 
their  children  in  the  truth  of  God 's  Word.  We 
also  endeavored  to  show  that,  in  order  to  give 
their  children  a  clear  understanding  of  the 
saving  truths  of  the  Bible,  they  could  do  no 
better  than  to  diligently  teach  them  Luther's 
Small  Catechism ;  that  this  was  really  Luther 's 
idea  and  purpose  when  he  wrote  that  excellent 
little  religious  manual ;  that  the  first  catecheti- 
cal class  ought  indeed  to  be  in  the  family, 
with  father  and  mother  as  teachers ; — that  this 
home  class  ought  to  be  carried  on  so  long  and 
so  persistently,  that  in  it  the  children  would 
become  perfectly  familiar  with  the  contents  of 
the  book;  so  familiar  indeed,  that  they  would 
know  all  the  parts  that  Luther  wrote  perfectly 
by  heart.  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  i.  e.,  the 
parts  that  Luther  wrote  himself,  is  really  quite 
a  small  book.  By  giving  only  a  little  time  and 
81 


82  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

attention  to  it  each  week,  the  parents  could 
easily,  in  a  few  years,  have  all  their  children 
know  it  as  perfectly  as  they  know  their  multi- 
plication table.    And  such  ought  to  be  the  case. 

After  these  beginnings  have  thus  been  made, 
and  while  the  home  instruction  is  still  going 
on,  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher 
comes  in  as  a  help  to  the  home  class.  In  every 
Sunday-school  class  there  ought  to  be,  with  each 
lesson,  some  instruction  in  the  Catechism.  To 
this  end  each  teacher,  in  a  Lutheran  Sunday- 
school,  ought  to  be  familiarly  at  home  in  this 
most  important  text-book.  The  teacher  should 
endeavor  so  to  teach  these  lessons,  that  the 
pupil  would  learn  to  love  and  appreciate  the 
Catechism  more  and  more.  Thus,  the  school 
ought  to  be  a  helper  to  the  home.  And  thus, 
home  and  school  together,  working  in  harmony 
for  the  same  end,  would  prepare  the  children 
for  the  pastor's  catechetical  class. 

If  this  good  old-fashioned  custom  were  kept 
up  in  all  our  households  and  schools,  then 
would  the  pastor's  catechetical  class  be  more 
of  a  pleasure  and  a  profit  to  himself  and  his 
catechumens.  It  would  then  be  the  pastor's 
part,  as  it  should  be,  to  review  the  contents 
with  his  class,  and  thus  to  find  how  well  the 
preparatory  work  had  been  done.  Then  he 
could  devote  his  time  and  energy  to  what  should 
be  really  the  pastor's  part  of  the  work,  viz.,  to 


CATECHISATION  83 

explain  and  set  forth  clearly  the  meaning  of 
the  Catechism,  and  show  how  it  all  applies  to 
the  heart  and  life  of  every  one. 

It  is  not  at  all  the  pastor's  place,  and  it 
should  never  be  expected  of  him,  to  act  the 
school-master,  to  see  to  and  oversee  the  memor- 
izing of  the  answers.  It  is  his  office  to  expound 
and  apply  the  truth,  to  make  the  doctrines  clear 
to  the  minds  of  the  learners,  and  to  show  how 
they  are  all  related  to  the  individual  life. 

But,  alas,  how  little  is  this  understood  or 
practiced !  How  many  parents,  who  call  them- 
selves Christians,  and  Lutherans,  seem  to  think 
that  they  have  nothing  to  do  in  this  whole  mat- 
ter !  They  seem  to  think  that  if  they  send  their 
children  once  a  week,  for  a  few  months,  to  the 
pastor's  class,  they  have  done  their  whole  duty. 
They  do  not  even  help  and  encourage  the  chil- 
dren to  learn  the  lessons  that  the  pastor  as- 
signs. And  thus  does  this  part  of  the  pastor's 
work,  which  ought  to  be  among  the  most  de- 
lightful of  all  his  duties,  become  wearisome  to 
the  flesh  and  vexatious  to  the  spirit.  Scarcely 
anywhere  else  in  all  his  duties  does  a  pastor 
feel  so  helpless  and  hopeless  and  discouraged, 
as  when  standing  week  after  week  before  a 
class  of  young  people  who  have  such  poor  in- 
structors at  home. 

Christian  parents,  if  you  desire  your  sons 
and  your  daughters  to  become  steadfast  and 


84  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

useful  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  see 
to  it  that  you  do  your  part  in  their  religious 
instruction.  Insist  on  it,  and  use  your  parental 
authority,  if  necessary,  that  your  children  learn 
the  Catechism  and  regularly  attend  the  pastor's 
instructions. 

We  believe  that  the  trouble  in  this  matter  lies 
largely  in  the  fact  that  in  many  quarters  cate- 
chisation  has  become  unpopular  in  our  fast 
age.  It  is  looked  upon  as  a  riiark  of  old-fogy- 
ism,  if  not  as  an  evidence  of  tli.o  absence  of 
''spiritual  religion!"  The  new  measures  and 
methods  of  modern  revivals  are  more  accept- 
able to  the  fickle  multitude.  They  seem  to 
point  out  a  shorter  route  and  quicker  time  to 
heaven.  As  a  boy  once  said  to  the  writer :  * '  I 
don't  want  to  belong  to  your  church,  because 
I  would  have  to  study  the  Cate  ^hism  all  winter, 
and  down  at  the  other  church  I  can  'get 
through'  in  one  night."  That  boy  expressed 
about  as  clearly  and  tersely  as  could  well  be 
done,  the  popular  sentiment  of  the  day. 

Yielding  to  this  popular  sentiment,  many 
churches,  that  once  adhered  strictly  and  firmly 
to  the  catechetical  method,  have  either  drop- 
ped it  entirely  or  are  gradually  giving  it  up. 
And  in  order  to  clothe  their  spiritual  ignor- 
ance and  laziness  in  a  pious  garb,  they  say: 
''The  Bible  is  enough  for  us.'*  "We  don't 
need  any"  man-made  Catechisms."     "It  is  all 


CATECHISATION  85 

wrong  anyhow  to  place  a  human  book  on  a 
level  with  or  above  the  Bible."  "We  and  our 
children  want  our  religion  from  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  not  from  a  Church  Catechism." 

Do  such  people  know  what  they  are  talking 
about,  or  do  they  sometimes  use  these  pious 
phrases  to  quiet  a  guilty  conscience?  Do  they 
know  what  a  Catechism  is  1 

Look  at  it  for  a  moment.  What  is  the  nature 
and  object  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism?  Is 
it  in  the  nature  of  a  substitute  for  the  Bible? 
Does  it  purpose  to  set  aside  the  Bible?  We 
can  scarcely  muster  patience  enough  to  write 
such  questions.    No !   No ! 

Any  child  that  can  read  this  little  book  knows 
better.  The  plainest  reader  cannot  fail  to  see 
that  it  is  intended  as  a  help  to  understand  the 
Bible.  Its  purpose  clearly  is  to  awaken  and 
develop  in  the  reader  or  learner  a  more  intelli- 
gent appreciation  and  love  for  the  Bible.  It 
contains  nothing  but  Bible  truth.  Its  design 
is  simply  this:  To  summarize  and  systematize 
the  most  important  truths  and  doctrines  of  the 
divine  Word:  To  so  arrange  and  group  them 
that  even  a  child  may  learn  what  the  Bible 
teaches  as  to  creation,  sin,  salvation,  and  the 
means  whereby  it  may  be  attained. 

We  have  the  assurance,  also — and  we  believe 
that  history  and  observation  will  bear  out  the 
statement — that  those  who  appreciate  and  have 


86  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

studied  a  sound  scriptural  Catechism  most 
thoroughly,  appreciate,  understand,  love  and 
live  their  Bibles  most  sincerely. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Contents,  Aerangement  and  Excellence  op 
Luther's  Small  Catechism. 

WE  have  spoken  of  Luther's  Small  Cate- 
chism as  a  help  with  which  to  lay  hold  of 
and  to  understand  the  most  important  truths 
of  the  Bible.  These  fundamental  truths  are 
taken  from  the  Scriptures,  and  are  so  grouped, 
arranged  and  explained  in  the  Catechism  that 
the  learner  can  easily  grasp  and  understand 
them.  That  some  of  the  truths  contained  in 
the  Bible  are  of  greater  importance  than  others 
will  scarcely  be  denied. 

It  is  certainly  more  important  that  the  child 
should  know  and  understand  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, than  that  it  should  be  familiar  with  all 
the  details  of  the  ceremonial  law.  Certainly 
better  to  be  familiar  with  the  Apostles'  Creed, 
than  to  know  all  about  the  building  of  the 
Temple.  Better  be  able  to  repeat  and  under- 
stand the  Lord's  Prayer,  than  to  have  a  clear 
knowledge  of  the  elaborate  ritual  of  the  Temple 
service.  Better  understand  the  meaning  of 
87 


GO  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATIOISr 

Christ's  two  Sacraments  than  to  be  able  to 
tell  all  about  the  great  feasts  of  the  Jews. 

If  any  one  can  know  all  these  other  matters 
also,  so  much  the  better.  The  Catechism  will 
certainly  be  a  help  instead  of  a  hindrance  to 
this  end.  But  if  all  cannot  be  learned — at  least 
not  at  once — let  the  most  important  be  taught 
first.    And  for  this  we  have  a  Catechism. 

Look  at  its  contents.  It  is  divided  into  five 
parts.  Each  division  treats  of  a  separate  sub- 
ject. The  first  contains  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, with  a  brief  and  clear  explanation  of 
each  Commandment.  The  second  part  has  the 
three  articles  of  the  Apostles'  Creed,  with  a 
clear  and  most  beautiful  explanation  of  each 
one.  The  third  is  the  Lord's  Prayer,  its  intro- 
duction, the  seven  petitions,  and  the  conclusion ; 
with  a  terse,  though  comprehensive  explana- 
tion of  each  sentence.  The  fourth  and  fifth 
parts  treat  similarity  of  the  two  sacraments, 
Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Here  then  we  have,  in  a  brief  space,  the  most 
important  teachings  of  the  whole  Bible  sys- 
tematically arranged  and  clearly  explained.  Of 
these  contents  and  their  arrangement,  Luther 
himself  says: 

''This  Catechism  is  truly  the  Bible  of  the 
laity  (or  common  people),  wherein  is  contained 
the  entire  doctrine  necessary  to  be  known  by 
every  Christian  for  salvation.    Here  we  have 


Luther's  small  catechism  89 

first  the  Ten  Commandments  of  God,  the  doc- 
trine of  doctrines,  by  which  the  will  of  God  is 
known,  what  God  would  have  us  to  do  and  what 
is  wanting  in  us. 

' '  Secondly :  The  Apostles  *  Creed,  the  history 
of  histories  or  the  highest  history,  wherein  are 
delivered  to  us  the  wonderful  works  of  God 
from  the  beginning,  how  we  and  all  creatures 
are  created  by  God,  how  all  are  redeemed  by 
the  Son  of  God,  how  we  are  also  received  and 
sanctified  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  collected  to- 
gether to  a  people  of  God,  and  have  the 
remission  of  sins  and  everlasting  salvation. 

*' Thirdly:  The  Lord's  Prayer,  the  prayer 
of  prayers,  the  highest  prayer  which  the  high- 
est Master  taught,  wherein  are  included  all 
temporal  and  spiritual  blessings,  and  comfort 
in  trouble  and  in  the  hour  of  death. 

'^ Fourthly:  The  blessed  Sacraments,  the 
ceremonies  of  ceremonies,  which  God  himself 
has  instituted  and  ordained,  and  therein  as- 
sured us  of  his  Grace." 

John  Arndt,  in  a  sermon  on  the  Catechism, 
says:  **The  Catechism  is  a  brief  instruction 
in  the  Christian  religion,  and  includes  in  itself 
the  doctrine  of  the  Law  of  God,  Christian  Faith, 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  institutions  of  Holy 
Baptism  and  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  which  five 
parts  are  an  epitome  and  kernel  of  the  entire 


90  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Holy  Scriptures,  for  which  reason  it  is  called 
a  'Little  Bible.'  " 

Dr.  Seiss,  in  his  Ecclesia  Lutherana,  says: 
*'It  is  the  completest  summary  of  the  contents 
of  the  Bible  ever  given  in  the  same  number  of 
words.  It  gave  to  the  reviving  Church  a  text- 
book for  the  presentation  of  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus  to  the  school,  lecture-room  and  pulpit. 

The  sainted  Dr.  Krauth  says:  ''The  Cate- 
chism is  a  thread  through  the  labyrinth  of 
divine  wonders.  Persons  often  get  confused, 
but  if  they  will  hold  on  to  this  Catechism  it  will 
lead  them  through  without  being  lost.  It  is 
often  called  the  'Little  Bible'  and  'the  Bible 
of  the  laity'  because  it  presents  the  plain  and 
simple  doctrines  of  the  Holy  Book  in  its  own 
words.  Pearls  strung  are  easily  carried,  un- 
strung they  are  easily  lost.  The  Catechism  is 
a  string  of  Bible  Pearls.  The  order  of  arrange- 
ment is  the  historical — the  Law,  Faith,  Prayer, 
Sacrament  of  Baptism,  and  all  crowned  with 
the  Lord's  Supper — ^just  as  God  worked  them 
out  and  fixed  them  in  history." 

Thus  we  might  go  on  quoting  page  after  page 
of  words  of  admiration  and  praise,  from  the 
greatest  minds  in  our  own  and  in  other 
Churches,  of  the  contents  and  arrangement  of 
this  little  book.  Neither  can  we  charge  these 
writers  with  extravagance  in  their  utterances. 
For  the  more  we  examine  and  study  the  pages 


Luther's  small  catechism  91 

of  this  little  book,  the  more  we  are  convinced 
that  it  is  unique  and  most  admirable  in  its 
matter  and  plan. 

Let  each  one  look  for  a  moment  into  himself, 
and  then  from  himself  into  this  little  book  after 
this  manner. 

I  come  into  this  world  ignorant,  yet  full  of 
presentiments  and  questions.  I  learn  my  first 
vague  lesson  about  myself  and  God.  I  naturally 
ask:  For  what  purpose  has  God  put  me  here? 
What  does  He  wish  me  to  do  ?  The  Catechism 
answers:  To  do  His  will,  to  keep  His  com- 
mandments. Here  they  are,  and  this  is  what 
they  mean.  I  study  them,  and  the  more  I  study 
them,  the  more  am  I  convinced  that  I  never  did 
and  never  can  perfectly  keep  this  law. 

I  ask  again:  What  then  shall  I  do?  My 
Catechism  tells  me  I  must  have  faith.  I  must 
believe.  But  what  shall  I  believe?  Answer: 
This  summary  of  truth  called  the  Apostles* 
Creed.  It  tells  me  of  my  Creator — His  work 
and  providence,  and  His  gift  of  a  Redeemer.  It 
tells  me  of  that  Redeemer  and  His  redemption; 
of  the  gift  of  the  Spirit,  and  of  His  application 
of  redemption.  It  not  only  tells  me  what  to 
believe,  but  in  the  very  telling  it  gives  me 
power  to  believe. 

But  I  am  still  weak  and  more  or  less  per- 
plexed. Whither  shall  I  go  for  more  strength 
and  Grace?    My  Catechism  furnishes  the  an- 


92  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

swer:  Go  to  the  great  Triune  God.  Ask  Him 
in  prayer.  Here  is  a  model.  It  will  teach  you 
how  to  pray. 

I  learn  what  it  is  to  pray.  But  again  I 
ask:  How  do  I  know  that  God  will  hear  my 
prayer?  Is  He  interested  in  me  personally? 
Has  He  any  other  means  besides  His  written 
Word  to  assure  me  of  His  love  and  to  give 
me,  in  answer  to  my  prayers,  encouragement 
to  believe  Him  and  love  Him? 

My  Catechism  points  me  to  my  baptism.  It 
teaches  me  what  it  means,  and  how  that  in  it 
I  have  God's  own  pledge  that  He  is  my  Father 
who  has  renewed,  reconciled  and  adopted  me, 
and  that  I  am  truly  His  child.  Here  then  is  a 
fountain  to  which  I  can  return  again  and 
again  when  weak  and  perplexed. 

Further,  my  Catechism  teaches  me  concern- 
ing my  Saviour's  last  logacy  of  love  before 
His  death  for  me.  His  Holy  Supper.  In  it 
He  holds  out  to  me  and  gives  to  me,  personally 
and  individually.  Himself  and  all  His  heavenly 
Grace.  For  my  famishing  soul  this  holy 
Sacrament  is  meat  indeed  and  drink  indeed. 

Thus  does  this  little  Catechism  meet  me  in 
my  perplexity,  take  me  by  the  hand,  and  lead 
me  through  the  labyrinth  of  the  wonders  of 
Grace.  Thus  does  it  tell  me  what  I  am,  what 
I  need,  and  where  and  how  to  get  what  I  need. 
It  takes  me  to  the  wells  of  salvation.    It  draws 


Luther's  small  catechism  93 

from  them  living  water.  It  holds  it  to  my 
parched  lips.  It  gathers  the  precious  manna 
of  the  Word,  and  feeds  me  when  I  am  faint 
and  weary. 

Such  is  Luther's  Small  Catechism.  Is  it 
any  wonder  that  we  love  it?  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  we  count  the  study  of  it  a  part  of  the 
Way  of  Salvation  in  the  Lutheran  Church?  * 

*  On  the  wisdom  of  the  arrangement  and  sequence  of 
Luther's  Five  Parts  see  The  Lutheran  Catechist,  pp.  95-102. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Manner  and  Object  of  Teaching  Luther's 
Catechism. 

WE  have  spoken  of  the  importance  of  cate- 
chisation.  We  have  seen  that  Luther's 
Small  Catechism  is  indeed  a  priceless  Bible 
manual.  It  sets  before  us,  in  matchless  order, 
God's  plan  of  salvation.  It  is  so  full  and  yet 
so  brief,  so  doctrinal  and  yet  so  warm  and 
hearty.  ''The  only  Catechism,"  says  Dr. 
Loehe,  ''that  can  be  prayed."  "It  may  be 
bought  for  sixpence,"  says  Dr.  Jonas,  "but 
six  thousand  worlds  could  not  pay  for  it." 

No  wonder  that  no  book  outside  of  the  Bible 
has  been  translated  into  so  many  languages, 
or  circulated  so  widely.  Thirty-seven  years 
after  its  publication  one  hundred  thousand 
copies  were  in  circulation.  The  first  book 
translated  into  any  of  the  dialects  of  the 
American  Indian,  it  was  from  its  pages  that 
the  red  man  read  his  first  lessons  concerning 
the  true  God,  and  his  own  relations  to  that 
God.  At  the  present  day  it  is  taught  in  a  score 
of  different  languages  in  our  own  land.* 

*  On  the  history  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  see  The 
Lutheran  Catechist,  Chapter  vii. 

94 


TEACHING  LUTHER'S  CATECHISM  95 

And  yet  how  sadly  neglected  and  abused, 
even  by  those  who  bear  its  author's  name!  It 
is  neglected,  if  not  entirely  ignored,  in  count- 
less Lutheran  homes  and  Sunday-schools.  It 
is  even  neglected  by  many  so-called  Lutheran 
pastors.  They  set  at  naught  the  testimony  of 
four  centuries.  They  set  their  own  opin- 
ions above  the  testimony  of  the  wisest,  as 
well  as  the  most  deeply  spiritual  and  conse- 
crated witnesses  of  their  own  Church.  They 
prefer  the  baseless,  shallow,  short-cut  methods 
of  this  superficial  age.  Some  of  them  have 
even  joined  in  the  cry  of  the  fanatic,  and  called 
all  catechisation  in  the  Church  dead  formalism ! 
Fortunately,  their  number  is  growing  rapidly 
less,  and  many,  who  for  a  while  were  car- 
ried away  with  the  tide  of  new  measures,  are 
asking  for  and  returning  to  the  good  and  tried 
old  ways. 

Not  only  is  this  Catechism  neglected,  but  it 
is  and  has  been  much  abused.  Abused,  not 
only  by  its  enemies,  who  have  said  hard  things 
against  it,  but  it  has  been  and  still  is  abused, 
like  all  good  things,  by  its  professed  friends. 
And  doubtless  it  is  the  abuse  by  its  friends  that 
is  largely  responsible  for  much  of  the  neglect 
and  contempt  into  which  it  sometimes  has  fal- 
len. Thus  in  the  family,  it  is  still  too  often 
taught  as  a  mere  task.  The  home  teacher  often 
has  no  higher  aim  than  that  the  children  should 


96  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

learn  it  by  rote — learn  to  rattle  it  off  like  the 
multiplication  table,  or  the  rules  of  grammar. 

Worse  than  this,  it  has  often  been  used  as 
an  instrument  of  punishment.  A  child  has 
done  something  wrong.  It  is  angrily  told  that 
for  this  it  must  learn  a  page  or  two  of  the 
Catechism!  The  task  is  sullenly  learned  and 
sullenly  recited;  and  the  Catechism  is  hated 
worse  than  the  sin  committed.  Then,  too,  it  is 
slurred  over  in  the  Sunday-schools,  without 
an  earnest  word  of  explanation  or  application. 
The  learner  does  not  realize  that  it  is  meant 
to  move  the  heart  and  to  influence  the  life. 

This  same  sad  mistake  is  also  made  by  many 
pastors  in  the  catechetical  class.  Strange  as 
it  may  seem,  this  mistake  is  most  commonly 
made  by  those  very  pastors  who  profess  to 
be  the  warmest  friends  of  and  the  most  zealous 
insisters  on  the  catechisation  of  every  lamb  in 
the  flock.  Thus  we  find  not  a  few  pastors  who 
catechise  their  classes  after  the  schoolmaster 
fashion.  They  go  through  the  exercise  in  a 
perfunctory,  formal  manner.  They  insist  on 
the  letter  of  the  text,  and  are  satisfied  if  their 
pupils  know  the  lessons  well  by  rote !  To  urge 
on  the  dull  and  lazy  pupil  they  will  scold  and 
rage,  and  even  use  the  rod!  The  Catechism 
becomes  a  mere  text-book.  The  pupils  get  out 
of  it  a  certain  amount  of  head  knowledge. 
There  are  so  many  answers  and  so  many  proof- 


TEACHING  Luther's  catechism  97 

texts  that  must  be  committed  to  memory.  And 
when  all  this  is  well  gotten  and  recited  by  rote, 
the  teacher  is  satisfied,  the  pnpil  is  praised, 
imagines  that  he  has  gotten  all  the  good  out 
of  that  bock,  and  is  glad  that  he  is  done  with  it ! 
Now  we  would  not  for  a  moment  depreciate 
the  memorizing  of  the  Catechism.  It  is  of  the 
most  vital  importance,  and  cannot  be  too 
strongly  urged.  What  we  object  to — and  we 
cannot  object  too  strenuously — is  the  idea  that 
head  knowledge  is  enough!  There  must  of 
course  be  head  knowledge.  The  memory  should 
store  up  all  the  precious  pearls  of  God's  truth 
that  are  found  in  the  Catechism.  The  mind 
must  grasp  these  truths  and  understand  their 
meaning  and  their  relation  to  one  another.  But 
if  it  stops  here,  it  is  not  yet  a  knowledge  that 
maketh  wise  unto  salvation.  In  spiritual  mat- 
ters the  enlightening  or  instructing  of  the  in- 
tellect is  not  the  end  aimed  at,  but  only  a  means 
to  an  end.  The  end  aimed  at  must  always  be 
the  renewal  of  the  heart.  The  heart  must  be 
reached  through  the  understanding.  To  know 
about  Christ  is  not  life  eternal.  I  must  know 
about  Him  before  I  can  know  Him.  But  I 
might  know  all  about  Him,  be  perfectly  clear 
as  to  His  person  and  His  work,  and  stop  there 
without  ever  knowing  Him  as  heart  only  can 
know  heart,  as  my  personal  Saviour,  my  Lord 
and  my  God. 


98  THE  WAT  OF  SALVATION 

Here,  we  fear,  many  ministers  make  a  sad 
mistake.  They  are  too  easily  satisfied  with  a 
mere  outward  knowledge  of  the  truth.  They 
forget  that  even  if  it  were  possible  to  ^'under- 
stand all  mystery  and  all  knowledge*' — intel- 
lectually— and  not  have  charity,  i.  e.,  deep,  fer- 
vent, glowing  love  to  God  in  Christ,  springing 
from  a  truly  penitent  and  belibving  heart,  it 
would  profit  nothing.  The  true  aim  and  end 
of  all  catechetical  instruction  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  in  the  family,  and  especially  in  the 
pastor's  class,  should  ever  be  a  penitent,  believ- 
ing and  loving  heart  in  each  catechumen. 

We  have,  in  a  former  chapter,  shown  the 
duty  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher  in  this  mat- 
ter. The  pastor  should  likewise  use  all  dili- 
gence to  find  out  in  whom,  among  his  catechu- 
mens, the  germs  of  the  divine  life,  implanted 
in  baptism,  have  been  kept  alive,  and  in  whom 
they  are  dormant.  Where  the  divine  life,  given 
in  holy  baptism,  has  been  fostered  and  cher- 
ished— where  there  has  been  an  uninterrupted 
enjoyment  of  baptismal  Grace,  more  or  less 
clear  and  conscious — there  it  is  the  pastor's 
privilege  to  give  clearer  views  of  truth  and 
Grace,  to  lead  into  a  more  intelligent  and 
hearty  fellowship  with  the  Eedeemer,  to  deepen 
penitence  and  to  strengthen  faith  through  the 
quickening  truth  of  God's  word. 

Where,  on  the  other  hand,  the  seeds  of  bap- 


TEACHING  Luther's  catechism  99 

tismal  Grace  have  been  neglected,  where  the 
germs  of  the  new  life  lie  dormant  or  asleep,  or 
where  there  never  has  been  any  implanting  of 
Grace  through  Word  or  Sacrament — in  short, 
where  there  are  no  pulsations,  no  manifesta- 
tions of  the  new  life,  there  the  pastor  has  a 
different  duty.  He  must  endeavor  to  so  bring 
the  acquired  truth  to  bear  on  the  conscience 
and  heart,  as  to  awaken  and  bring  about  a  sense 
of  sin,  a  genuine  sorrow  therefor,  a  hatred 
thereof,  a  longing  for  deliverance,  a  turning  to 
Christ  and  a  laying  hold  on  Him  as  the  only 
help  and  the  only  hope. 

Thus  the  one  great  aim  and  object  of  the 
conscientious  pastor,  with  each  impenitent 
catechumen,  is  to  awaken  and  bring  about 
genuine,  heartfelt  penitence  and  a  true,  trust- 
ing, clinging  faith.  In  one  word,  he  must  labor 
for  that  catechumen's  conversion.  Only  those 
of  whom  there  is  evidence  that  they  are  in  a 
converted  state  should  be  admitled  to  confirma- 
tion. 

By  this  we  do  not  mean,  as  some  do,  that 
each  one  must  be  able  to  tell  when,  and  where, 
and  how  he  was  converted.  We  mean  simply 
this:  That  each  one  must  have  in  his  heart 
true  penitence,  i.  e.,  sorrow  for  and  hatred  of 
sin,  and  true  faith,  i.  e.,  a  confiding,  trustful 
embracing  of  Christ  as  the  only  Saviour. 

Whether  these  elements  of  the  new  life  have 


100  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

been  constantly  and  uninterruptedly  developed 
from  Baptism,  or  whether  they  have  been 
awakened  gradually  by  the  Word,  is  not  ma- 
terial. The  only  important  question  is:  Are 
the  elements  of  the  new  life  now  there — even 
though  as  yet  feeble  and  very  imperfect — is 
the  person  now  turned  away  from  sin  to  a 
Saviour?  If  so,  we  consider  that  person  in  a 
converted  state. 

This  much,  we  believe,  should  be  demanded 
of  each  catechumen  before  he  is  admitted  to 
the  rite  of  confirmation.  It  is  largely  because 
this  has  not  been  demanded  as  the  only  true 
and  satisfactory  result  of  catechisation,  that 
this  important  branch  of  the  Church's  activity 
has  so  largely  fallen  into  disrepute.  It  is  doubt- 
less because  of  carelessness  on  this  point  that 
so  many  fall  back  after  confirmation  to  the 
world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil.  They  did  not 
hold  fast  to  their  crown  because  they  had  no 
crown. 

Where  the  Catechism  is  properly  learned,  un- 
derstood and  applied,  the  intellect  is  used  as 
the  gateway  to  the  heart.  Where  the  result  of 
an  enlightened  mind  is  a  changed  heart,  there 
are  intelligent  believers.  They  know  what  it 
means  to  be  a  Christian.  They  have  an  earnest 
desire  for  closer  fellowship  with  Him  who  has 
loved  them  and  washed  them  from  their  sins  i/ii 
His  own  blood.  There  is  good  hope  that  such 
will  be  faithful  unto  death. 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

Confirmation. 

IN  our  studies  concerning  the  methods  of 
Grace,  or  the  application  of  the  Salvation 
purchased  by  Christ  to  the  sinful  race  of 
Adam's  children,  we  necessarily  had  to  begin 
with  the  new-born  child.  We  noted  the  first 
known  operations  of  Grace  at  the  baptismal 
font.  We  traced  the  infant  through  the  holy 
influences  received  at  a  Christian  mother's 
knee,  and  in  the  nurture  of  a  Christian  home. 
We  followed  up  through  the  lessons  and  influ- 
ences of  the  Church's  nursery,  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  from  thence  into  the  pastor's  cate- 
chetical class.  We  have  learned  that  these  are 
the  different  successive  steps  in  the  Way  of 
Salvation.  This  is  God's  way  in  the  sanctuary. 
It  begins  at  the  baptismal  font,  where  the  child 
is  received  as  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
Christ;  it  leads  through  the  Church  in  the 
house,  and  through  the  house  keeps  up  a  living 
connection  with  the  Church.  It  is  making  dis- 
ciples in  accordance  with  Christ's  plain  direc- 
tions, viz.,  **  baptising  them,  and  teaching 
them.'' 

101 


102  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

We  have  also  admitted  all  along  that  there 
may  be  some  who  will  go  through  with  this 
whole  process  and  yet  not  be  disciples  of  Christ 
at  the  end.  They  wilfully  resist  the  operations 
of  divine  Grace,  and  cast  it  away  from  the  heart. 
This  class  we  leave,  for  the  present.  We  shall 
consider  them  further  on. 

We  speak  now  of  those  who  have  been  made 
disciples;  who  have  not  resisted  the  gracious 
influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  working  through 
the  sacramental  and  the  written  Word.  Their 
minds  are  enlightened ;  they  know  something  of 
sin  and  Grace  and  the  bestowal  and  reception 
of  Grace;  they  have  an  intelligent  understand- 
ing of  the  plan  of  salvation  revealed  in  the 
Word  of  God.    But  this  is  not  all. 

Their  hearts  also  have  been  drawn  ever 
nearer  and  closer  to  their  dear  Saviour;  they 
believe  in  and  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  they 
are  ready  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that 
asks  of  them  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in 
them.  In  the  ardor  and  fervor  of  their  young 
hearts'  devotion  they  can  repeat  these  beauti- 
ful words  of  their  catechism  and  say:  **I  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  Christ,  true  God,  begotten  of 
the  Father  from  eternity,  and  also  true  man, 
born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  is  my  Lord ;  who  has 
redeemed  me,  a  lost  and  condemned  creature, 
secured  and  delivered  me  from  all  sin,  from 
death,  and  from  the  power  of  the  devil     .     .     . 


CONFIRMATION  103 

in  order  that  I  might  be  His,  live  under  Him 
in  His  kingdom  and  serve  Him  in  everlasting 
righteousness,  innocence  and  blessedness." 

Further,  they  can  joyfully  say:  "I  believe 
that  I  cannot  by  my  own  reason  and  strength 
believe  in  Jesus  Christ  my  Lord,  or  come  to 
Him.  But  that  the  Holy  Ghost  has  called  me 
through  the  Gospel,  enlightened  me  by  His 
gifts,  sanctified  and  preserved  me  in  the  true 
faith." 

This  happy  faith  of  their  hearts  has  never 
been  publicly  professed  before  men.  But  the 
Word  of  God  demands  not  only  faith  in  the 
heart,  but  also  confession  by  the  lips.  Rom. 
X.  9-10:  ''If  thou  shall  confess  with  thy  mouth 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  shall  believe  in  thine  heart 
that  God  hath  raised  Him  from  the  dead,  thou 
shall  he  saved.  For  with  the  heart  man  he- 
lieveth  unto  righteousness,  and  with  the  mouth 
confession  is  made  unto  salvation."  Jesus  also 
says.  Matt.  x.  32 :  "Whosoever,  therefore,  shall 
confess  Me  before  men,  him  will  I  confess  also 
before  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 

And  should  any  one  be  ashamed  of  this  public 
profession  and  refuse  to  make  it,  Jesus  clearly 
tells  such  an  one  that  of  him  He  also  will  be 
ashamed  in  the  judgment  day.  There  are  no 
promises  to  him  who  does  not  confess. 

If  our  catechumens  would  therefore  still  fol- 


104  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

low  God's  Way  of  Salvation  he  must  now  also 
take  this  step,  and  publicly  confess  Jesus  as 
his  Lord  and  Redeemer  and  himself  as  His 
disciple.  And  for  this  there  is  no  time  so  ap- 
propriate as  when  he  desires  to  be  numbered 
among  the  communicants  of  the  congregation 
and  participate  with  them  in  the  celebration  of 
the  Lord's  Supper. 

For  this  also  our  Church  has  made  fitting 
arrangement.  It  is  done  at,  or  is  rather  a  part 
of,  the  impressive  ceremony  of  confirmation. 
Who  has  not  witnessed  this  beautiful  and  touch- 
ing rite?  And  what  could  be  more  interesting 
or  impressive  than  to  see  a  company  of  young 
hearts  encircling  the  altar  of  Christ,  confessing 
their  faith,  and  bowing  the  knee  to  their 
Saviour  amid  the  prayers  and  benedictions  of 
the  Church?    This  is  confirmation. 

The  catechumen  has  been  examined  by  the 
pastor  as  to  his  fitness  for  this  important  step. 
The  pastor  has  found  that  he  possesses  an  in- 
telligent understanding  of  the  doctrines  taught 
in  the  Catechism,  and  that  the  experience  of  his 
heart  bears  witness  to  their  truth  and  power.* 

On  this  account  he  is  adjudged  as  fit  and 
well  prepared  to  be  admitted  to  the  holy  com- 
munion. He  now  comes  of  his  own  accord — 
not  because  he  is  old  enough,  or  knows  enough, 

*  On  deciding  as  to  who  ought  to  be  admitted  to  Con- 
firmation see  further  The  Lutheran  Catechist,  Chapter  xvii. 


CONFIRMATION  105 

or  because  father,  mother,  or  pastor  wants 
Mm  to — ^before  the  altar  of  Christ.  There, 
in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  congre- 
gation and  the  all-seeing  God,  his  lips  confess 
the  faith  of  his  heart,  the  faith  into  which  he 
was  baptized  as  a  child.  He  now  voluntarily 
takes  upon  himself  the  vows  and  promises  that 
parents  or  sponsors  took  for  him  at  baptism. 
He  receives  an  earnest  admonition  from  his 
pastor  to  hold  fast  that  which  he  has  and  to 
be  faithful  unto  death.  The  whole  congrega- 
tion, together  with  the  pastor,  lift  their  hearts 
in  earnest  intercessory  prayer  to  God  for  His 
continuous  blessing  on  and  protection  of  the 
young  confessor ;  and,  the  catechumen  kneeling 
at  the  altar,  the  pastor  directs  the  intercessions 
of  the  Church  to  each  kneeling  one  in  turn,  by 
laying  his  hands  on  him  and  offering  up  for 
him  a  fervent  petition  in  inspired  words. 

This  is  the  simple  and  appropriate  ceremony 
which  we  call  confirmation.  We  claim  for  it  no 
magical  powers.  It  is  not  a  sacrament.  It  adds 
nothing  to  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  for  that 
is  complete  in  itself.  There  is  no  conferring  of 
Grace  by  the  pastor's  hands,  but  simply  a  di- 
recting of  the  Word  and  the  Church's  prayers 
to  the  individual. 

The  confirming,  strengthening  and  establish- 
ing of  the  catechumen  in  Grace,  is  effected 
primarily   and    alone    through    Christ's    own 


106  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

means  of  Grace,  viz.:  the  Word  and  the 
Sacraments.  The  Word  has  been  applied  to 
mind  and  heart  all  along  from  tenderest  child- 
hood. It  is  now  brought  home  in  the  review 
and  admonition  of  the  pastor,  amid  specially 
solemn  surroundings.  The  previous  adminis- 
tering of  baptism,  and  the  perpetual  efficacy 
of  that  sacrament,  are  now  vividly  recalled 
and  impressed.  And  this  unusually  impres- 
sive application  of  the  power  of  Word  and 
Sacrament  confirms  and  strengthens  the  di- 
vine life  in  the  catechumen.  Thus  the  means 
of  Grace  do  the  confirming,  or  rather  the  Holy 
Spirit  through  these  means.  Instrumentally 
also  the  pastor  may  be  said  to  confirm,  since 
ho,  as  Christ's  ambassador  or  agent,  applies 
His  means  of  Grace. 

In  still  another,  though  inferior  sense,  the 
catechumen  confirms.  He  receives  the  offered 
means  of  Grace,  assents  to  their  truth  and 
efficacy,  obtains  divine  virtue  and  strength 
through  them,  and  with  this  imparted  strength 
lays  hold  on  Christ,  draws  nearer  to  Him,  is 
united  to  Him  as  the  branch  to  the  vine,  and 
thus  confirms  and  establishes  the  covenant  and 
bond  that  unites  him  to  his  Saviour. 

We  do  not  claim  for  the  rite  of  confirmation 
a  "thus  saith  the  Lord."  We  do  not  claim  that 
it  possesses  sacramental  efficacy,  or  that  it  is 
absolutely  essential  to  salvation.    We  do  claim, 


CONFIKMATION  107 

however,  that  there  is  nothing  unevangelical  or 
anti-scriptural  in  this  ceremony.  On  the  con- 
trary, we  believe  that  it  is  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  whole  tenor  and  spirit  of  the  Gospel.  If 
we  cannot  trace  it  to  apostolic  usage,  we  can  find 
it  in  all  its  essential  features  in  the  pure  age 
of  the  Church  immediately  succeeding  the 
Apostles.  In  some  form  or  other  it  has  been 
practiced  in  the  Church  ever  since. 

True,  it  has  often  been  and  is  still  grossly 
abused.  It  has  often  been  encumbered  and  en- 
tangled with  error  and  superstition ;  and  there- 
fore there  have  not  been  wanting  radical  purists 
who  have  not  only  set  it  aside,  but  cried  it  down 
as  Romish  and  heathenish.  The  more  sober 
and  conservative  churches  have  been  content 
to  purge  it  of  its  error  and  superstition.  In 
its  purified  form  they  prize  it  highly,  cherish 
its  use,  practice  it,  and  find  it  attended  by  God's 
richest  blessing. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  also  that  some  of  those 
who  were  once  its  most  bitter  opponents  are 
gradually  returning  to  its  practice.  We  find, 
for  example,  that  certain  Presbyterian  churches 
confirm  large  classes  of  catechumens  every 
year. 

Certain  Methodist  book  concerns  and  publish- 
ing houses  also  publish  confirmation  certifi- 
cates, from  which  we  infer  that  some  of  j;heir 
churches  also  must  practice  this  rite.    Again, 


108  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

we  find  in  certain  ''pastors'  record  books,'* 
gotten  np  to  suit  all  denominations,  columns 
for  reporting  the  number  of  confirmations. 

All  churches  must  indeed  have  some  kind  of 
a  ceremony  for  the  admission  of  the  young  into 
the  communion  of  the  church.  And  there  cer- 
tainly is  no  more  befitting,  beautiful  and  touch- 
ing ceremony  than  confirmation,  as  described 
above  and  practiced  in  the  Lutheran  Church. 


CHAPTEB  Xni. 

The  Lord's   Supper — Preliminaby 
Observations. 

OUR  catechumen  has  now  been  confirmed. 
The  pastor  has  given  him,  in  the  name 
of  the  congregation,  the  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship, and  also  publicly  authorized  him  to  join 
with  the  congregation  in  the  celebration  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  For  the  first  time,  then,  the 
young  Christian  is  to  partake  of  this  holy 
sacrament,  in  order  that  thereby  he  may  be 
still  further  strengthened  and  confirmed  in  the 
true  faith. 

This  sacred  institution,  also,  is  a  part  of 
God's  'Way  of  Salvation.  It  is  one  of  the 
means  of  Grace  appointed  and  ordained  by 
Christ.  It  *'hath  been  instituted  for  the  special 
comfort  and  strengthening  of  those  who  humbly 
confess  their  sins  and  who  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness.'* 

It  is  true  that  multitudes  do  not  regard  it  as 

a  means  or  channel  of  Grace.     To  them  it  is 

only  an  ancient  rite  or  ceremony,  having  no 

special  significance  or  blessing  connected  with 

109 


110  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

it.  It  is  at  most  a  symbol,  a  sign,  or  represen- 
tation of  something  entirely  absent  and  in  no 
way  connected  with  it.  If  there  is  any  blessing 
at  all  attached  to  it,  it  consists  in  the  pious 
thoughts,  the  holy  emotions  and  the  sacred 
memories,  which  the  communicant  tries  to  bring 
to  it  and  which  are  in  some  way  deepened  by 
it.  At  best,  it  is  a  memorial  of  an  absent 
Saviour,  and  in  some  form  a  representation  of 
His  sufferings  and  death. 

Now  if  this  were  all  that  we  could  see  in  the 
Lord's  Supper,  we  should  not  regard  it  as  a 
part  of  God's  Way  of  Salvation.  But  our 
Church  sees  much  more  in  it.  With  her  it  is 
indeed  an  essential  and  integral  part  of  that 
Way.  And  since  this  is  another  of  the  points 
on  which  the  Lutheran  Church  differs  mater- 
ially from  many  others,  it  will  be  well  for  us 
to  devote  some  space  and  time  to  its  study. 

Much  has  been  written  on  this  important 
subject.  We  may  not  have  anything  new  to 
add,  but  it  is  well  often  to  recall  and  re-study 
the  old  truths,  so  easily  forgotten.  Before  we 
consider  the  nature  of  this  sacrament,  we  make 
a  few  preliminary  observations  that  will  help 
us  to  guard  against  false  views,  and  to  arrive 
at  correct  conclusions. 

We  observe  first,  the  importance  of  bearing 
in  mind  the  source  from  which  this  institution 
has  come.     Who  is  its  author?     What  is  the 


THE  lord's  SUPPEB  111 

nature  or  character  of  its  origin?  Our  views 
of  any  institution  are  generally  more  or  less 
influenced  by  thus  considering  its  origin. 
Whence  then  did  the  Church  get  this  ordinance 
which  she  has  so  conscientiously  kept  and  de- 
voutly celebrated?  Did  it  emanate  from  the 
wisdom  of  man?  Did  some  zealous  mystic  or 
hermit  invent  it,  because  forsooth  he  supposed 
it  would  be  pleasant  and  profitable  to  have  such 
an  ordinance  in  the  Church?  Or  did  some  early 
Church  Council  institute  it,  because  those  earn- 
est fathers  in  their  wisdom  deemed  it  necessary 
that  the  Church  should  have  such  a  service? 
Can  it,  in  short,  be  traced  to  any  human  origin  ? 
If  so,  then  we  can  deal  with  it  as  with  any  other 
human  institution.  We  are  then  at  liberty  to 
reason  and  speculate  about  it.  We  can  apply 
to  it  the  rules  of  human  science  and  learning. 
We  can  test  it,  measure  it,  sound  it  by  phil- 
osophy, logic,  and  the  laws  of  the  mind.  Each 
one  then  has  a  right  to  his  own  opinion  about 
it.  Each  one  can  apply  to  it  the  favorite  test 
of  common  sense,  and  draw  his  own  conclusions. 
But  now,  we  know  that  this  is  not  a  human 
institution.  The  Church  has  received  it  from 
the  hands  of  the  Son  of  God.  It  was  ordained 
by  Him  who  could  say,  ''All  power  is  given  unto 
Me  in  heaven  and  in  earth/'  and,  ''In  whom 
dwelt  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily;" 
who,  even  before  his  birth  in  human  form,  was 


112  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

called  "the  Mighty  God,  the  everlasting  Father, 
the  Prince  of  Peace."  When  we  come  to  deal 
with  an  institution  of  His,  we  dare  never  expect 
to  fathom  or  test  it  by  our  poor,  short-sighted 
and  sinblinded  reason,  philosophy,  science,  or 
common  sense.  "For  my  thoughts  are  not  your 
thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my  ways,  saith 
the  Lord.  For  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than 
the  earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than 
your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than  your 
thoughts."  Whenever,  therefore,  we  come  to 
deal  with  anything  that  comes  from  His  hands, 
it  is  no  longer  of  the  earth,  earthy,  and  is  not 
subject  to  earthly  laws  and  human  rules.  His 
acts.  His  deeds.  His  words,  belong  to  the  realm 
of  faith,  and  not  of  reason.  Reason  must  ever 
be  taken  captive  and  made  to  bow  before  the 
heavenly  things  connected  with  Him.  Or  shall 
we  try  to  reason  out  His  human  birth.  His 
growth,  His  nature,  His  deeds?  Shall  we  rea- 
son out  the  feeding  of  the  multitudes  with  those 
few  barley  loaves  and  fishes?  No;  they  came 
through  His  hands,  and  the  power  of  those 
hands  we  cannot  comprehend.  We  cannot  com- 
prehend how  that  afflicted  woman  could  receive 
virtue,  health  and  life,  by  touching  the  hem  of 
His  garment — a  mere  fabric  of  cloth — or  how 
the  clay  and  spittle  from  His  hands  could  open 
the  eyes  of  one  born  blind. 
Whenever,  therefore,  we  come  to  study  this 


THE  LORD'S   SUPPER 


113 


ordinance,  let  us  ever  bear  in  mind  its  divine 
origin.  It  is  the  Lord's  Supper.  This  precau- 
tion will  be  a  safeguard  against  error,  and  a 
help  to  the  truth. 

We  notice  secondly  the  time  of  institution.  It 
was  "in  the  night  in  which  He  was  betrayed." 
That  awful  night,  when  the  clouds  of  divine 
wrath  were  gathered  over  Him,  and  were  ready 
to  burst  upon  Him ;  when  the  accumulated  guilt 
of  a  sinful  race  was  all  to  be  laid  on  Him,  borne 
by  Him  as  though  it  were  His  own,  and  its 
punishment  endured  as  though  He  had  com- 
mitted every  sin.  Then,  when  the  strokes  of 
justice  were  about  to  fall,  our  blessed  Saviour, 
"having  loved  His  own,  He  loved  them  to  the 
end,"  He  gathered  His  little  band  of  chosen 
ones  about  Him  for  the  last  time  before  His 
crucifixion.  Ha  spoke  to  them  His  farewell 
words,  uttered  His  high-priestly  prayer,  insti- 
tuted and  administered  to  them  this  holy  sacra- 
ment. All  the  suiroundings  conspired  to  throw 
round  it  a  halo  of  heavenly  mystery.  Every- 
thing was  calculated  to  impress  that  little  band 
that  what  He  nov/  ordained  and  made  binding 
on  the  Church,  till  He  v/ould  come  again,  was 
something  more  than  an  empty  sign  or  cere- 
mony. Thus  the  time,  the  circumstances,  and 
all  the  surroundings  of  the  institution  of  this 
holy  sacrament,  prepare  us  in  advance  to  be- 
lieve that  there  must  be  in  it  or  connected  with 


114  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

it  some  heavenlj^  gift  of  Grace  that  can  be  ob- 
tained nowhere  else. 

We  notice  thirdly  the  significant  term  by 
which  Jesus  designates  this  institution.  When 
he  administered  the  cup  He  said:  ''This  cup 
is  the  New  Testament  in  my  blood.' '  He  calls 
it  a  testament.    A  testament  is  a  last  will. 

Jesus  was  about  to  go  forth  to  die.  Before 
he  departed,  He  made  His  will.  He  bequeathes 
to  the  Church  an  inheritance.  The  legacy  that 
He  leaves  is  this  sacrament.  Before  we  under- 
take to  study  the  words  of  the  institution,  we 
wish  to  impress  this  thought.  A  will  is  the  last 
place  where  one  would  use  ambiguous  or  figura- 
tive language.  Every  maker  or  writer  of  a 
will  strives  to  use  the  clearest  and  plainest 
words  possible.  Every  precaution  is  taken 
that  there  may  be  no  doubtful  or  difficult  ex- 
pression employed.  The  aim  of  the  maker  is 
to  make  it  so  plain  that  only  one  meaning  can 
be  taken  from  it. 

Neither  is  any  one  permitted  to  read  into  it 
any  sense  different  from  the  clear,  plain,  literal 
meaning  of  the  words.  Fanciful,  metaphorical, 
or  far-fetched  interpretations  are  never  applied 
to  the  words  of  a  will.  Much  less  is  any  one 
permitted  to  change  the  words  by  inserting  or 
substituting  other  words  than  those  used  by 
the  maker.  Christ's  words  of  institution  are 
the  words  of  His  last  Will  and  Testament. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Lokd's  Supper — Continued. 

IN  the  former  chapter  we  made  some  prelimin- 
ary observations,  intended  to  be  helpful,  as 
guards  against  false  conclusions,  and  as  guides 
to  a  correct  understanding  of  the  subject  under 
consideration.  It  is  important  that  we  always 
keep  these  in  mind  in  our  study  of  the  doctrine 
of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Let  us  ever  keep  before 
us  therefore  the  Author  or  Founder  of  this  in- 
stitution, the  time  and  circumstances  of  the 
institution,  and  its  testamentary  character. 

We  are  now  ready  to  inquire  further  into  the 
nature  and  meaning  of  this  holy  ordinance. 
And  in  order  to  determine  this  we  desire  to  go 
directly  to  the  law  and  to  the  testimony.  We 
want  to  know,  first  of  all :  w^hat  does  the  Word 
of  God  teach  on  the  subject? 

Before  we  proceed,  however,  to  note  and  ex- 
amine the  passages  of  Scripture  bearing  on  the 
matter,  let  us  recall  what  we  said,  as  to  the 
interpretation  of  Scripture,  in  one  of  the 
chapters  on  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism.  We 
there  stated  that  our  Church  has  certain  plain 
115 


116  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

and  safe  principles  of  interpretation  tJiat  are 
always  to  guide  the  searcher  after  the  truth 
of  God's  Word,  viz.: 

1.  *'A  passage  of  Scripture  is  always  to  be 
taken  in  its  plain,  natural  and  literal  sense,  un- 
less there  is  something  in  the  text  itself,  or  in 
the  context,  that  clearly  indicates  that  it  is 
meant  to  be  figurative." 

2.  ''A  passage  is  never  to  be  torn  from  its 
connection,  but  it  is  to  be  studied  in  connection 
with  what  goes  before  and  what  follows  after." 

3.  *' Scripture  is  to  be  interpreted  by  Scrip- 
ture, the  dark  passages  are  to  be  compared 
with  the  more  clear,  bearing  on  the  same  sub- 
ject." 

4.  * '  We  can  never  be  fully  certain  that  a  doc- 
trine is  Scriptural  until  we  have  examined  and 
compared  all  that  the  Word  says  on  the  sub- 
ject." 

On  these  principles  we  wish  to  examine  what 
the  Word  teaches  as  to  the  nature  of  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  We  note  first 
the  accounts  of  the  institution  as  given  by  the 
three  Evangelists,  Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke. 
In  Matthew  xxvi.  26-28,  we  read,  ^^  Jesus  took 
bread  and  blessed  it  and  brake  it,  and  gave  it 
to  the  disciples  and  said;  'Take,  eat,  this  is  my 
body.'  And  he  took  the  cup  and  gave  thanks 
and  gave  it  to  them  saying:  'Drink  ye  all  of  it. 
For  this  is  My  hlood  of  the  New  Testament, 


THE  lord's   supper  117 

which  is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of 
sins/  "  With  this  the  accounts  in  Mark  xix. 
22-24,  and  in  Luke  xxii.  19,  20,  substantially 
agree.  There  is  a  slight  variation  of  the  words, 
but  the  substance  is  the  same. 

We  notice  only  this  difference:  Luke  adds 
the  words,  ''This  do  in  remembrance  of  Me." 
On  this  point  let  us  notice,  in  passing,  that  St. 
Luke's  was  the  last  written  of  the  three.  The 
Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Mark  had  been  written 
and  were  read  and  used  in  the  churches  several 
years  before  St.  Luke's.  And  yet  the  two 
former  do  not  contain  the  words,  ''Do  this  in 
remembrance  of  Me."  Now  we  submit  right 
here,  if  to  remember  Christ  were  all  that  is  in 
this  sacrament,  or  even  the  chief  thing,  why 
did  those  who  were  inspired  to  write  the  lirst 
Gospels,  and  knew  that  there  were  no  others, 
leave  out  these  words? 

Almost  thirty  years  after  the  time  of  the 
institution  of  this  sacrament,  the  great  apostle 
of  the  Gentiles  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Church  at 
Corinth.  That  Church  was  made  up  of  a  mixed 
multitude — Jews  and  Gentiles,  freemen  and 
slaves.  Many  of  them  were  neither  clear  nor 
sound  on  points  of  Christian  doctrine  and  prac- 
tice. In  his  fatherly  and  affectionate  letters  to 
the  members  of  this  Church,  Paul,  among  other 
things,  gives  them  instruction  concerning  this 
sacrament;  and,  lest  some  of  them  might  per- 


118  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

haps  suppose  that  he  is  giving  them  merely 
his  own  wisdom  and  speculation,  he  takes 
especial  care  to  disavow  this:  ^'For  I  have  re- 
ceived of  the  Lord  that  which  also  I  delivered 
tmto  you,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  the  same  night 
in  which  he  was  betrayed,  took  bread,"  etc., 
giving  in  substance  the  same  words  of  institu- 
tion as  given  by  the  Evangelists  (1  Cor.  xi.  23, 
24,  25). 

After  thus  giving  them  the  words  of  institu- 
tion, Paul  goes  on  to  instruct  them  about 
worthy  and  unworthy  communing.  In  these 
instructions  we  cannot  help  but  notice  how  he 
takes  the  real  presence  of  Christ's  body  and 
blood  for  granted  all  the  way  through.  Notice 
his  language.  Verse  27:  ^'Whosoever  shall 
eat  of  this  bread  and  drink  of  this  cup  of  the 
Lord  unworthily,  shall  be  guilty  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  the  Lord."  Verse  29:  ''For  he  that 
eateth  and  drinketh  unworthily,  eateth  and 
drinketh  damnation  to  himself,  not  discerning 
the  Lord's  body."  Going  back  to  chapter  ten, 
verse  sixteen,  we  find  the  Apostle  giving  the 
doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  a  few  words 
thus:  ''The  cup  of  blessing  which  we  bless,  is 
it  not  the  communion  of  the  blood  of  Christ? 
The  bread  which  we  break,  is  it  not  the  com- 
munion of  the  body  of  Christ?" 

We  have  now  noted  all  the  passages  that 
speak  directly  on  this  subject.    There  are  other 


THE  lord's  SUPPEE  119 

strong  passages  that  are  often  quoted  in  de- 
fence of  the  doctrine  of  the  real  presence,  and 
which  we  doubtless  have  a  right  to  use  in  cor- 
roboration of  those  above  quoted.  We  refer 
to  John  vi.  53-56:  *' Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you.  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
and  drink  His  blood,  you  have  no  life  in  you. 
Whoso  eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  hlood 
hath  eternal  life.  .  .  .for  my  flesh  is  meat 
indeed  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed.  He  that 
eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood  dwelleth 
in  me,  and  I  in  him." 

As  it  is  a  disputed  point,  however,  whether 
this  passage  refers  to  the  Lord's  Supper  or 
not,  we  are  willing  to  waive  it  here.  We  are 
content  to  take  those  passages  quoted  above, 
which  every  one  acknowledges  as  referring 
directly  to  our  subject.  These  we  would  have 
the  reader  carefully  examine.  Note  particu- 
larly the  language,  the  words  employed.  In  the 
four  accounts  given  of  the  institution,  three  by 
the  Evangelists  and  one  by  Paul,  we  have  the 
same  clear,  plain  words  concerning  the  bread 
and  wine — words  of  the  last  will  and  testament 
of  the  Son  of  God.  our  Saviour — "This  is  my 
body.'*  "This  is  my  blood  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment;" or  "the  New  Testament  in  my  blood." 
Note  the  language  of  Paul:  "Guilty  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  the  Lord."  "Not  discerning 
the  Lord's  body."    The  cup  is  called  the  com- 


120  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

munion  of  the  blood,  and  the  bread,  the  com- 
munion of  the  body  of  Christ.  The  word 
communion  is  made  up  of  two  Latin  words,  con 
and  unio,  meaning  union  with,  or  connection 
with.  The  marginal  reading  in  our  family 
Bibles,  as  well  as  in  the  revised  version,  is 
'^ participation  in."  The  plain  English  of  the 
verse  then  is,  the  bread  is  a  participation  in, 
or  a  connection  with  Christ's  body,  and  the 
wine  with  His  blood. 

We  are  now  ready  to  take  all  these  passages 
together,  to  compare  them  one  with  another, 
and  to  ask,  A^Hiat  do  they  teach?  What  is  the 
Bible  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  Is  it 
transubstantiation  ?  Is  it  consubstantiation  ? 
Is  it  that  the  bread  and  wine  are  mere  repre- 
sentations or  memorials  of  the  absent  body  and 
blood  of  Christ?  Or  do  these  passages  teach 
"That  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  truly 
present  under  the  form  of  bread  and  wine  and 
are  communicated  to  those  that  eat  in  the 
Lord's  Supper?"  (Augsburg  Confession,  Art. 
X.) 


The  Lord's  Supper — Concluded. 

WE  have  quoted,  noted,  collected  and  com- 
pared the  words  of  Scripture  that  speak 
of  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  We 
now  wish  to  ask  and  examine  the  question: 
What  do  these  passages  taken  together  and 
compared  with  one  another  teach?  Or,  in  other 
words,  what  is  the  Bible  doctrine  of  the  Lord 's 
Supper? 

Does  the  Bible  teach  the  doctrine  of  Tran- 
substantiation,  as  held  and  confessed  by  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church?  If  our  investigation 
of  the  teachings  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  con- 
vinces us  that  they  teach  Transubstantiation, 
we  will  be  ready  to  believe  and  confess  that 
doctrine,  no  matter  who  else  may  believe  or 
disbelieve  it.  What  we  want  to  know,  believe, 
teach  and  confess,  is  the  Bible  doctrine. 

What  is  Transubstantiation?  The  word 
means  a  change  of  substance.  The  doctrine  of 
the  Romish  Church  is  that  after  the  consecra- 
tion by  the  priest,  the  bread  in  the  sacrament 
is  changed  into  the  material  body  of  Christ,  and 
121 


122  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

the  wine  into  His  blood — so  entirely  changed  in 
substance  and  matter,  that  after  the  consecra- 
tion there  is  no  more  bread  or  wine  there ;  what 
was  bread  has  been  converted  into  the  flesh  of 
Christ,  and  what  was  wine  has  been  converted 
into  His  blood.  Is  this  the  doctrine  of  God's 
word?  Does  the  Word  anywhere  tell  ns  that 
the  bread  and  wine  are  thus  changed?  Does  it 
call  the  bread  flesh,  either  before  or  after  the 
consecration?  Let  us  see.  ''Jesus  took  bread." 
*'I  will  not  drink  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine.*' 
"The  bread  which  we  break."  ''For  as  often 
as  ye  eat  this  bread  and  drink  this  cup."  Such 
is  the  language  of  inspiration.  Now  we  ask, 
if  the  Holy  Spirit  desired  that  plain  and  un- 
prejudiced readers  should  find  the  doctrine  of 
Transubstantiation  in  His  words,  why  does  He 
call  the  earthly  elements  bread  and  wine  before, 
during  and  after  the  consecration  and  distribur 
tion?  Why  does  He  not  say,  "as  often  as  ye 
eat  this  flesh  and  drink  this  blood?"  Evidently 
because  the  bread  is,  and  remains  plain,  natural 
bread,  and  so  with  the  wine.  There  is  no  change 
in  the  component  elements,  in  the  nature,  mat- 
ter, or  substance  of  either.  Transubstantiation 
is  not  the  doctrine  of  God's  word;  neither  was 
it  the  doctrine  of  the  early  Church.  It  is  one 
of  the  human  inventions  and  corruptions  of  the 
Church  of  Rome. 
Do  then  these  words  of  Scripture  teach  the 


THE  lord's  supper  123 

doctrine  of  Consubstantiation?  There  are 
persons  who  talk  a  great  deal  about  Consub- 
stantiation,  and  yet  they  know  not  what  it 
means.  What  is  it?  It  is  a  mingling  or  fusing 
together  of  two  different  elements  or  sub- 
stances, so  that  the  two  combine  into  a  third. 
A  familiar  example,  often  given,  is  the  fusing 
or  melting  together  of  copper  and  zinc  until 
they  unite  and  form  brass.  Applied  to  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  the  doctrine  of  Con- 
substantiation  would  teach  that  the  flesh  and 
blood  of  Christ  are  physically  or  materially 
mingled  and  combined  with  the  bread  and  wine, 
so  that  what  the  communicant  receives  is 
neither  plain,  real  bread,  nor  real  flesh,  but  a 
gross  mixture  of  the  two. 

Again  we  ask,  is  this  the  teaching  of  the 
Word?  The  very  same  proofs  that  convince  us 
that  the  divine  Word  does  not  teach  Transub- 
stantiation,  also  convince  us  that  it  does  not 
teach  Consubstantiation.  The  simple  fact  that 
the  earthly  elements  are  called  bread  and  the 
fruit  of  the  vine,  before,  during  and  after  con- 
secration and  distribution  satisfies  us  that  they 
remain  plain,  simple  bread  and  wine,  without 
physical  change  or  admixture.  Consubstantia- 
tion is  not  the  teaching  of  the  Word ;  neither  is 
it,  nor  has  it  ever  been,  the  teaching  of  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  It  often  has  been,  and  is  still 
called   the   Lutheran   doctrine   of   the   Lord's 


124  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

Supper,  but  it  is  found  in  none  of  her  confes- 
sions. It  was  never  taught  by  a  single  recog- 
nized theologian  of  our  Church.  One  and  all, 
they  have  repudiated  it  and  repudiate  it  still. 
The  question  then  is  still  unanswered:  What 
is  the  doctrine  of  the  divine  Word? 

There  are  many  who  have  a  ready  and  easy 
answer  as  to  this  doctrine.  They  say  it  is 
only  a  Church  ceremony,  one  of  the  old,  solemn 
rites  by  which  Church  members  are  distin- 
guished from  outsiders.  There  is  indeed  no 
special  significance  or  Grace  connected  with  it. 
There  is  really  nothing  in  it  but  bread  and  wine. 
There  is  no  presence  of  Christ  at  all  in  this 
sacrament  in  any  way  different  from  His  gen- 
eral presence.  The  bread  represents  or  signi- 
fies, is  a  sign,  or  symbol,  or  emblem  of  Christ's 
body,  and  the  wine  of  His  blood.  The  com- 
municant receives  nothing  but  bread  and  wine, 
and  while  he  partakes  of  these  he  remembers 
Christ's  sufferings  and  death.  Whatever  spe- 
cial benefit  he  is  to  derive  from  this  sacrament 
he  must  first  put  into  it,  by  bringing  to  it  pious 
thoughts,  good  feelings,  deep  emotions,  tender 
memories,  and  a  faith  that  swings  itself  aloft 
and  holds  communion  with  Christ  far  off  in 
heaven. 

This  is  about  the  current,  popular  view  of 
this  subject  as  held  and  taught  in  nearly  all 
the  Protestant  Churches  of  to-day,  outside  of 


THE  lord's  supper  125 

the  Lutheran  Church.  As  a  natural  conse- 
quence of  this  superficial  view,  the  whole  mat- 
ter is  treated  very  lightly.  There  is  little,  if 
any,  solemn,  searching  preparation.  In  many 
places  there  is  no  formal  consecration  of  the 
elements.  The  table  is  thrown  open  to  any  one 
who  desires  to  commune.  There  are  no  regula- 
tions, no  guards,  no  disciplinary  tests,  con- 
nected with  it.  Even  unbaptized  persons,  and 
persons  who  have  never  made  a  public  profes- 
sion of  faith,  are  often  permitted  to  commune. 
We  return  to  the  question :  Is  the  view  just 
noticed  in  harmony  with  and  based  on  the 
Word  ?  Let  us  see.  If  there  is  nothing  present 
but  bread  and  wine,  why  does  Christ  say,  *  *  This 
is  My  body  .  .  .My  blood?"  .  Why  not  say.  This 
is  bread,  this  is  wine?  If  Christ  wanted  us  to 
understand  that  the  bread  and  wine  merely 
represent  or  are  emblems  of  His  body  and 
blood,  why  did  He  not  say  so?  Did  He  not 
know  how  to  use  language?  Did  He  use  dark 
or  misleading  words  in  His  last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment? Why  does  Paul,  in  speaking  of  worthy 
and  unworthy  communing,  speak  of  the  body  of 
Christ  as  present,  as  a  matter  of  course  ?  Was 
he  inspired  to  misunderstand  Christ  and  lead 
plain  readers  astray?  If  there  is  nothing  more 
in  the  sacrament  than  to  remember  Christ,  why 
— as  already  noticed — did  not  the  writers  of 
the  first  two  Gospels  put  in  the  words,  ''Do  this 


126  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

in  remembrance  of  Me?'*  Or  why  did  not 
Christ  plainly  say,  * '  Take,  eat  this  bread,  which 
represents  My  body,  in  remembrance  of  Me?" 
Clearly,  the  doctrine  in  question  is  not  based 
on  the  words  of  Scripture.  It  cannot  be  sup- 
ported by  Scripture.  Neither  do  its  defenders 
attempt  to  support  it  by  the  passages  that 
clearly  speak  of  this  sacrament.  If  they  try  to 
bring  in  any  Scripture  proof,  they  quote  pas- 
sages that  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  subject. 
They  draw  their  proofs  and  supports  princi- 
pally from  reason  and  philosophy. 

Surely  a  doctrine  that  changes  the  words  of 
the  institution,  wrests  and  twists  them  out  of 
their  natural  sense,  and  does  violence  to  all 
sound  rules  of  interpretation ;  that  must  bolster 
itself  up  by  the  very  same  methods  of  interpre- 
tation that  are  used  to  disprove  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  the 
eternity  of  future  punishment,  is  not  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ. 

We  have  not  found  the  Bible  doctrine  in  any 
of  the  views  examined.  Can  we  find  it?  Let 
us  see.  We  are  satisfied,  from  our  examina- 
tion of  the  passages  that  have  to  do  with  our 
subject,  that  there  must  be  earthly  elements 
present  in  this  sacrament.  They  are  bread  and 
wine.  They  remain  so,  without  physical  change 
or  admixture.  We  also  find  from  these  pas- 
sages that  there  is  a  real  presence  of  heavenly 


THE  loed's  supper  127 

elements.  These  are  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ.  Not  indeed  that  body  as  it  was  in  its 
state  of  humiliation,  when  it  was  subject  to 
weakness,  hunger,  thirst,  pain  and  death.  But 
that  glorified,  spiritual,  resurrection  body,  in 
its  state  of  exaltation,  inseparably  joined  with 
the  Godhead,  and  by  it  rendered  everywhere 
present.  And  this  body  and  divinity,  we  re- 
mark in  passing,  were  already  present,  though 
veiled,  when  the  God-man  walked  this  earth. 
Peter  and  James  and  John  caught  a  glimpse 
of  it  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration.  It  is  of 
this  body,  and  blood,  of  which  Peter  says,  1 
Peter  i.  18, 19,  that  it  is  not  a  corruptible  thing, 
and  of  which  the  Apostle  says,  Heb.  ix.  12,  ''Bi/ 
his  own  blood  he  entered  in  once  into  the  Holy 
Place''  (that  is,  into  heaven),  and  of  which 
Jesus  spoke  when  He  said,  ^'Take  eat,  this  is 
my  body    .     .     .     this  is  my  blood." 

Of  this  body  and  blood,  the  Scriptures  affirm 
that  they  are  present  in  the  sacrament.  The 
passage  Avhich  sets  forth  the  double  presence, 
that  of  the  earthly  and  heavenly  elements,  which 
indeed  sums  up  and  states  the  Bible  doctrine 
in  a  few  words,  is  1  Cor.  x.  16.  There  Paul 
affirms  that  the  bread  is  the  communion  of 
Christ's  body,  not  of  His  Spirit  or  His  influ- 
ence. If  the  bread  is  the  communion  of,  par- 
ticipation in,  or  connection  with  His  body,  then 
bread  and  body  must  both  be  present.    It  takes 


128  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

two  things  to  make  a  communion.  They  must 
both  be  present.  It  would  be  absurd  to  speak 
of  bread  as  a  communion  of  something  in  no 
way  connected  with  it. 

As  we  have  already  said,  the  plain  sense  of 
the  words  of  this  passage  is,  that  the  bread  is 
a  connection  with,  or  a  participation  in  Christ's 
body,  and  so  with  the  wine;  so  much  so  that 
whoever  partakes  of  the  one  must,  in  some 
manner,  also  become  a  partaker  of  the  other. 
The  bread,  therefore,  becomes  the  medium,  the 
vehicle,  the  conveyance,  that  carries  to  the 
communicant  the  body  of  Christ,  and  the  wine 
likewise  His  blood.  And  this,  we  repeat,  with- 
out any  gross  material  transmutation  or  mixing 
together.  The  bread  and  wine  are  the  earthen 
vessels  that  carry  the  Heavenly  treasures  of 
Christ's  body  and  blood,  even  as  the  letters 
and  words  of  the  Scriptures  convey  to  the 
reader  or  hearer  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  the 
clear,  plain,  Bible  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. There  is  nothing  gross,  carnal,  Capernait- 
ish  or  repulsive  about  it. 

And  exactly  this  is  the  teaching  and  doctrine 
of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  Article 
X.,  Augsburg  Confession,  says,  **0f  the  Lord's 
Supper  they  teach  that  the  true  body  and  blood 
of  Christ  are  truly  present,  under  the  form  of 
bread  and  wine,  and  are  there  communicated  to 
those  that  eat  in  the  Lord's  Supper."     And 


THE  lord's  supper  129 

Luther's  Catechism  says,  ''The  sacrament  of 
the  altar  is  the  true  body  and  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  under  the  bread  and  wine,  given  unto 
us  Christians  to  eat  and  drink,  as  it  was  in- 
stituted by  Christ  himself." 

We  therefore  find  that  on  this  point  also  our 
dear  old  Church  is  built  impregnably  on  the 
foundation  of  Christ  and  His  Apostles.  And 
though  she  may  here  differ  from  all  others,  she 
cannot  yield  one  jot  or  tittle  without  proving 
false  to  her  Lord  and  to  His  truth.  It  is  not 
bigotry.  It  is  not  prejudice,  that  makes  her 
cling  so  tenaciously  to  this  doctrine.  She 
knows,  as  the  great  Reformer  knew,  that  the 
very  foundations  are  at  stake ;  that  if  she  gives 
up  on  this  point,  and  changes  the  Scriptures  to 
suit  human  reason,  she  will  soon  have  to  give  up 
other  doctrines,  and  by  and  by  the  rock  on 
which  the  Church  is  built  will  be  removed,  and 
the  gates  of  hell  will  prevail. 

And  further,  if  there  is  any  risk  of  being  mis- 
taken— which  she,  however,  does  not  admit — 
she  would  rather  run  that  risk,  by  taking  her 
Master  at  His  Word,  than  by  changing  His 
Word.  In  childlike  confidence  and  trust;  she 
would  rather  believe  too  much  than  too  little. 
She  would  rather  trust  her  dear  Master  "too 
far  than  not  far  enough.  And  therefore  here 
she  stands ;  she  cannot  do  otherwise.  May  God 
help  her  I    Amen. 


130  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Others  may  still  say,  "This  is  a  hard  saying, 
who  can  bear  it?  The  idea  of  eating  and  drink- 
ing the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord  offends  us." 

Well,  it  also  offends  all  rationalistic  liberals, 
that  their  salvation  should  depend  on  the  literal 
shedding  of  the  literal  blood  of  Jesus.  But  it 
does  not  offend  us.  On  the  contrary,  this  same 
doctrine  is  to  us  the  very  heart  of  the  whole 
Gospel,  and  is  therefore  more  precious  than 
life  itself. 

Neither  does  it  offend  us  that  the  mother, 
whose  pure  and  tender  love  to  her  infant  child 
is  an  emblem  of  the  divine  love  to  us  poor  sin- 
ners, while  she  presses  to  her  bosom  that  little 
one,  soothes  away  its  frettings  and  sings  away 
its  sobbings,  at  the  same  time  feeds  and  nour- 
ishes that  feeble  life  with  her  own  physical  life, 
giving  it  literally  her  body  and  blood.  This  is 
no  offense  to  us. 

And  why  should  it  offend  us  that  our  dear 
loving  Saviour  comes  so  close  to  us,  leads  us 
into  His  banqueting  house,  where  His  banner 
over  us  is  love,  speaks  to  us  words  that  are  the 
out-breathings  of  the  yearning  love  of  His 
divine  heart,  and,  at  the  same  time,  feeds  us 
with  His  own  spiritual  and  glorified  body  and 
blood,  and  thus  makes  us  partake  of  the  divine 
nature. 

Instead  of  being  offended,  let  us  rather  bow 
down,  and  worship,  and  adore,  and  sing: 


THE  lord's  supper  131 

"Lord,  at  Thy  table  I  behold 

The  wonders  of  Thy  Grace; 
But  most  of  all  admire  that  I 

Should  find  a  welcome  place." 

"I  that  am  all  defiled  by  sin; 

A  rebel  to  my  God: 
I  that  have  crucified  His  Son 
And  trampled  on  His  blood!" 

"What  strange  surprising  Grace  is  this 

That  such  a  soul  has  room; 
My  Saviour  takes  me  by  the  hand. 

And  kindly  bids  me  come!" 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Prepaeatory  Service;  Sometimes  Called 
THE  Confessional  Service. 

IN  our  examination  of  the  nature  and  meaning 
of  the  Lord's  Supper,  we  have  found  that  it 
is  indeed  a  most  important  and  holy  Sacrament. 
It  is  in  fact  the  most  sacred  of  all  the  ordin- 
ances of  the  Church  on  earth.  There  is  nothing 
beyond  it — nothing  so  heavenly,  on  this  side  of 
heaven,  as  this  Feast.  NoAvhere  else  does  the 
believer  approach  so  near  to  heaven  as  when 
he  stands  or  kneels,  as  a  communicant  at  this 
altar,  the  Holy  of  Holies  in  the  Church  of 
Christ. 

What  a  solemn  act !  To  approach  this  altar, 
to  participate  in  its  heavenly  mysteries,  to  be- 
come a  partaker  of  the  glorified  body  and  blood 
of  the  Son  of  God !  Surely  no  one  who  under- 
stands the  import  of  this  Sacrament,  will  dare 
to  approach  hastily,  thoughtlessly,  or  on  the 
impulse  of  the  moment.  Surely  there  must  be 
forethought  and  preparation.  Our  Church  has 
realized  this  from  the  very  beginning.  She  has 
had,  and  still  has,  a  special  service  for  those 
132 


THE   PREPAKATORY   SERVICE  133 

who  intend  to  commune.  Her  preparatory  ser- 
vice precedes  her  communion  service.  And  we 
can  safely  affirm,  that  no  Church  has  so  search- 
ing and  suitable  a  preparatory  service  as  has 
the  Lutheran  Church.  Where  this  preparatory 
service  is  properly  conducted  and  entered  into 
by  pastor  and  people,  it  is  a  not  unimportant 
step  in  the  Way  of  Salvation. 

Our  Church,  in  this  particular  also,  is  purely 
scriptural.  Israel  of  old  had  seasons  of  special 
preparation,  previous  to  special  manifestations 
from  God.  There  was  a  season  of  special  pre- 
paration before  the  giving  of  the  Law;  also  be- 
fore the  receiving  of  the  quails  and  the  manna 
from  heaven.  There  were  days  of  preparation 
before  and  in  connection  with  the  great  annual 
festivals,  as  well  as  in  connection  with  other 
great  national  and  religious  events.  Our  Lord, 
Himself,  observed  a  most  solemn  preparatory 
service  with  His  disciples  before  He  instituted 
the  Last  Supper.  He  not  only  spoke  very  com- 
forting words  to  them,  but  He  also  plainly 
pointed  out  to  them  their  sins,  e.  g.,  their  pride, 
their  jealousy,  their  quarrels,  their  coming  de- 
fection, the  fall  of  Peter  and  the  treachery  of 
Judas.  In  harmony  with  all  this,  Paul  directs : 
**But  let  a  man  examine  himself,  and  so  let  him 
eat  of  that  bread  and  drink  of  that  cup." 

And  it  is  to  aid  and  assist  the  communicant  in 
this  self-examination  that  we  have  our  prepara- 


134  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

tory  service.  Its  great  object  is  to  enable  the 
communicant  to  realize  his  own  sinfulness,  to 
deepen  in  him  true  penitence  and  longing  for 
forgiveness,  and  also  to  aid  him  in  appropriat- 
ing and  rejoicing  in  the  full  and  free  for- 
giveness of  Christ.  To  this  end  we  sing  our 
penitential  hymns,  plead  for  Grace  to  know 
ourselves,  our  sinfulness,  and  the  fulness  of 
Christ's  Grace,  and  hear  such  searching  ap- 
peals from  the  pastor  as  often  pain  and  agonize 
the  heart. 


Then  follows  a  united,  audible  and  public 
confession  of  sin,  of  sorrow  because  of  it,  of 
earnest  desire  for  forgiveness,  of  faith  in  Christ 
as  the  divine  Saviour,  and  of  an  earnest  pur- 
pose to  hate  and  avoid  all  sin  in  the  future. 
This  confession  is  followed  by  the  words  of  ab- 
solution from  the  pastor. 


In  pronouncing  the  absolution  the  minister 
uses  the  following,  or  words  to  the  same  effect : 
**  Almighty  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  having 
of  His  great  mercy  promised  the  forgiveness 
of  sins  to  all  those  who  with  hearty  repentance 
and  true  faith  turn  unto  Him,  and  having  au- 


THE    PKEPAEATOKY    SERVICE  135 

thorized  His  ministers  to  declare  the  same,  I 
pronounce,  to  all  who  do  truly  repent  and  be- 
lieve on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  are  sin- 
cerely determined  to  amend  their  ways  and  lead 
a  godly  and  pious  life,  the  entire  forgiveness 
of  all  your  sins,  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.    Amen. ' ' 


This  is  the  closing  part  of  the  preparatory 
service,  which  is  called  Confession  and  Absolu- 
tion. 


Some  time  ago  we  were  asked,  by  a  minister 
of  another  denomination,  why  Lutherans  re- 
tained and  practiced  Eomish  confession,  and 
forgiveness  by  the  minister.  We  handed  him 
our  formula  for  Confession  and  Absolution,  and 
asked  him  to  examine  it  and  point  out  to  us 
wherein  it  was  Eomish  or  unscriptural.  After 
examination  he  handed  it  back,  saying:  **I 
cannot  say  that  it  is  exactly  unscriptural.  In 
fact,  I  can  easily  see  how  you  can  quote  Scrip- 
ture in  its  defense." 


And  so  we  can.  Li  Matt.  xvi.  19,  Jesus  says 
to  Peter:  '*/  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt 


136  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

hind  on  earth  shalt  be  bound  in  heaven;  and 
whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be 
loosed  in  heaven.'*  In  Matt,  xviii.  18,  the 
Saviour  gives  the  same  power  in  the  same 
words  to  all  the  disciples  as  representatives  of 
the  Christian  congregation.  In  John  xx.  21-23, 
He  says  again  to  the  disciples :  ^'As  my  Father 
hath  sent  me,  even  so  seyid  I  you,  .... 
whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted 
unto  them,  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they 
are  retained." 

What  do  these  words  of  Christ  mean?  They 
must  mean  something.  They  must  be  of  some 
use.  Our  Lord  certainly  does  confer  some  kind 
of  authority  or  power  on  His  Church,  which  is 
His  Bride.  Does  He  hereby  give  into  her  hand 
the  keys  of  His  kingdom,  and  authorize  her  to 
dispense  its  treasures?  Does  she  through  her 
ministry,  employ  these  keys,  bring  forth 
heavenly  treasures,  and  distribute  and  with- 
hold them  among  the  children  of  men?  To  the 
Church's  ministers  Christ  says,  Luke  x.  16; 
''He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  Me;  and  he  that 
despiseth  you,  despiseth  me.'*  One  of  these 
ministers,  who  certainly  understood  his  office 
and  its  perogatives,  speaking  in  the  name  of 
all  true  ministers  of  Christ,  says,  2  Cor.  v.  20: 
''Now  then  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  as 
though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray  you 
in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God."    If 


THE   PREPARATORY   SERVICE  137 

we  would  see  how  this  ambassador  exercised 
his  high  authority  in  an  individual  case,  he 
tells  us  in  2  Cor.  ii.  10 :  *'If  I  forgave  anything , 
to  whom  I  forgave  it  for  your  sakes  forgave  I 
it,  in  the  presence  of  Christ/' 

If  now  we  take  these  passages  together,  we 
must  admit  that  in  their  plain  literal  sense,  they 
do  teach  that  Christ,  the  Head  of  the  Church, 
has  in  some  sense  committed  to  His  Church 
the  power  to  remit  and  retain  sins,  and  that 
this  power  is  exercised  in  the  Chruch  through 
its  ministry. 

In  what  sense  then  has  a  minister  power  to 
remit  sin  ?  Certainly  not  by  any  inherent  virtue 
of  his  own,  nor  by  any  power  originating  in  his 
own  person.  In  this  sense  only  God  can  forgive 
sin,  as  all  sin  is  committed  against  Him.  But 
God  can  delegate  that  power  to  another,  and 
permit  him  to  use  it  in  His  name.  And  this  is 
all  the  power  any  human  being  can  have  in  this 
matter.  It  would  indeed  be  blasphemy  for  any 
man  to  claim  that  he  had  power  in  himself  to 
forgive  sins.  If  he  can  have  any  power  at  all, 
it  must  be  Christ* s  power.  He  can  only  use  it 
as  a  deputy,  as  an  ambassador,  or  as  an  agent. 
And  this  is  exactly  what  the  Word  teaches. 
The  minister  is  Christ's  ambassador.  He  be- 
seeches and  speaks  in  Christ's  stead,  as  though 
God  were  speaking  by  him.  Paul  forgave  the 
penitent  Corinthian,  not  in  his  own  name  or  by 


138  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

his  own  authority,  but  "in  the  presence  of 
Christ." 

When  a  part  of  our  country  was  in  rebellion, 
the  government  at  Washington  sent  deputies  to 
those  who  had  renounced  their  allegiance,  em- 
powered to  confer  pardon,  and  reinstate  as 
citizens,  all  who  accepted  the  government's 
terms  of  pardon.  These  agents  had  no  power 
in  themselves,  but  they  were  authorized  to 
carry  the  pardoning  power  of  the  government, 
and  to  those  who  accepted  it  from  them,  it  was 
as  valid  as  though  each  one  had  received  a 
special  proclamation  of  pardon  from  the  gov- 
ernment. Just  so  does  the  pastor,  as  Christ's 
ambassador,  offer  and  bestow  Christ's  forgive- 
ness to  the  penitent  and  believing  sinner.  He 
offers  this  pardon  only  on  the  terms  laid  down 
by  Christ.  The  means  through  which  he  con- 
veys this  pardon  is  God's  Word.  This  Word, 
preaching  repentance  and  remission  of  sins, 
when  spoken  by  the  minister,  is  just  as  effective 
as  when  it  fell  from  the  lips  of  Christ  or  His 
inspired  apoetles.  Whenever  he  preaches  God's 
Word  he  does  nothing  else  than  declare  Christ's 
absolution.  It  is  the  Word  of  God,  that  still 
remits  and  retains,  that  binds  and  looses. 

The  pastor  can  only  declare  that  Word,  but 
the  Word  itself  does  effectually  work  forgive- 
ness to  him  that  rightly  receives  it.  Not  only 
can  the  minister  carry  this  Word  of  God,  this 


THE    PKEPAEATOEY    SEEVICE  139 

key  of  the  kingdom,  this  power  of  God  unto 
salvation,  and  apply  it,  but  any  disciple  of 
Christ  can  do  so.  Dr.  Krauth  beautifully  says : 
*'The  whole  pastoral  work  is  indeed  but  an 
extension  of  the  Lutheran  idea  of  Confession 
and  Absolution."  And  Dr.  Walther  says: 
*'The  whole  Gospel  is  nothing  but  a  proclama- 
tion of  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  or  a  publication 
of  the  same  Word  to  all  men  on  earth,  which 
God  Himself  confirms  in  heaven."  Dr.  Seiss 
somewhere  says:  ''Every  time  a  believer  in 
Christ  sits  down  beside  a  troubled  and  penitent 
one,  and  speaks  to  such  an  one  Christ's  pre- 
cious promises  and  assurances  of  forgiveness, 
he  carries  out  the  Lutheran  or  scriptural  idea 
of  absolution. " 

And  even  the  minister  of  another  denomina- 
tion, above  referred  to,  acknowledged  to  the 
writer,  that  when  he  found  one  of  his  parish- 
ioners of  whom  he  was  convinced  that  she  was 
a  true  penitent,  despondent  on  account  of  her 
sins,  he  unhesitatingly  said  to  her,  ''Your  sins 
are  forgiven  by  Christ." 

We  had  intended  to  still  say  something  about 
the  public  confession  of  Israel  at  Mizpeh,  1 
Sam.  V.  6,  and  of  the  multitudes  w^ho  went  out 
to  John  the  Baptist,  Matt.  viii.  6;  also  of  the 
private  Confession  and  Absolution  of  David 
and  Nathan,  2  Sam.  xii.  13.  But  each  one  can 
examine  these  cases  for  himself.    Enough  has 


140  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

been  said  to  assure  us  that  our  Church,  in  this 
matter  also,  is  grounded  on  the  eternal  Word 
of  God,  and  that  she  did  wisely  when,  after  re- 
pudiating the  blasphemous  practices  of  the 
Romish  confessional,  she  yet  retained  an  evan- 
gelical Confession  and  Absolution. 

When  we  therefore  hear  the  declaration  of 
absolution  from  God's  Word,  let  us  believe  it, 
''even  as  if  it  were  a  voice  sounding  from 
heaven. ' ' 

Therefore  the  Augsburg  Confession,  Art. 
XXV,  says  that  ''On  account  of  the  very  great 
benefit  of  Absolution,  as  well  as  for  other  uses 
to  the  conscience,  Confession  is  retained  among 
us." 

Such  evangelical  Confession  and  Absolution 
establishes  and  maintains  the  true  relation  that 
should  exist  between  an  evangelical  pastor  and 
the  members  of  his  flock.  Instead  of  a  mere 
preacher,  a  platform  orator,  he  becomes  a  true 
spiritual  guide,  a  curate  for  the  cure  of  souls. 
He  encourages  his  members  to  reveal  to  him 
their  weaknesses,  their  besetting  sins,  their 
doubts  and  spiritual  conflicts,  in  order  that  he 
may  instruct,  direct,  comfort  and  strengthen 
them  with  the  all-sufficient  and  powerful  Word 
of  God. 

And  thus,  wherever  he  finds  true  penitence 
and  faith,  however  weak,  he  carries  out  the 
divine  commission  which  directs  him:    ''Com- 


THE   PKEPARATORY    SERVICE  141 

fort  ye,  comfort  ye  my  people,  saith  the  Lord, 
speak  ye  comfortably  to — i.  e.,  speak  ye  to  the 
heart  of — Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her  that  her 
warfare  is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity  is 
pardoned;  for  she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's 
hand  double  for  all  her  sins,''  Is.  40,  1,  2.* 

"How  beauteous  are  their  feet. 

Who  stand  on  Zion's  Hill! 
Who  bring  salvation  on  their  tongues. 
And  Words  of  peace  reveal. 

"How  charming  is  their  voice! 
How  sweet  the  tidings  are! 
'Zion  behold  thy  Saviour  King; 
He  reigns  and  triumphs  here.' " 

*  See  further  on  this  whole  subject  of  Confession  and 
Absolution,  The  Lutheran  Catechist,  Chapter  xxiv.  Also 
The  Lutheran  Pastor,  Chapter  xiv. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Word  As  a  Means  of  Grace. 

IN  the  last  chapter  we  learned  that  the  Word 
of  God  is  the  key  of  the  kingdom,  which  key- 
Christ  has  given  to  His  Church,  and  that  this 
Word,  declared  by  the  pastor,  does  really  con- 
vey and  apply  the  forgiveness  of  sins  to  the 
penitent  and  believing.  Following  out  this 
idea,  we  wish  now  to  show  that  God's  Word  is 
the  power  and  the  effective  means  through 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  operates  on  the  minds 
and  hearts  of  the  children  of  men. 

The  popular  idea  in  regard  to  the  use  of  the 
Word,  seems  to  be  that  it  is  intended  to  be 
merely  a  book  of  instruction  and  a  guide — that 
its  purpose  is  merely  to  tell  us  about  sin  and 
salvation;  that  like  a  guide-post  it  points  out 
the  way  of  salvation,  and  shows  the  necessity 
of  repentance,  faith,  and  holiness.  That  it  tells 
about  the  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  effect  a 
change  of  heart,  and  that  further  than  this  it 
affords  no  help  for  fallen  man.  A  poor  sinner 
goes  to  that  Word.  He  reads  it,  or  hears  it 
preached.  He  learns  indeed  that  he  is  a  sinner, 
142 


THE   WORD   AS   A   MEANS    OF   GRACE  143 

but  he  has  no  deliverance  from  sin.  He  learns 
of  Christ's  redemption,  but  its  benefits  are  not 
applied  to  him.  He  sees  that  he  must  repent 
and  believe,  but  by  his  own  reason  and  strength 
he  cannot.  He  learns  further,  that  he  needs 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  enable  him  to  repent  and 
believe,  but,  according  to  the  current  opinion, 
that  Spirit  is  not  in  the  Word,  nor  effective 
through  it,  but  operates  independently  of  it. 
The  using  of  the  divine  Word  is  at  best  an  oc- 
casion that  the  Spirit  may  use  for  independent 
operation.  He  might  go  from  his  Bible  and 
from  many  a  sermon  and  say:  *'I  know  I  need 
religion — I  need  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  I  hope 
that  at  some  time  the  Spirit  may  come  to  me 
and  bless  me  with  pardon  and  peace,  but  I 
cannot  tell  when  or  how  this  may  be."  Ac- 
cording to  this  popular  conception,  the  Holy 
Spirit  might  be  compared  to  a  dove  flying 
about,  and  alighting  at  hap-hazard  now  on  this 
one  and  then  on  that  one. 

The  Lutheran  Church  does  not  so  understand 
the  teaching  and  claims  of  the  Word  concern- 
ing itself.  According  to  her  faith  the  Word 
of  God  is  more  than  a  book  of  information.  It 
not  only  tells  about  sin  and  salvation,  but  de- 
livers from  sin  and  confers  salvation.  It  not 
only  points  out  the  way  of  life,  but  it  leads, 
nay  more,  we  might  say,  it  carries  us  into  and 
along  that  way.    It  not  only  instructs  concern- 


144  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

ing  the  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  it  conveys 
that  Spirit  to  the  very  mind  and  heart.  It  is 
indeed  a  precious  truth,  that  this  Word  not  only 
tells  me  what  I  must  do  to  be  saved,  but  it 
also  enables  me  to  do  it.  It  is  indeed  the  prin- 
cipal means  of  Grace.  It  is  the  vehicle  and  in- 
strument of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Through  it  the 
Holy  Spirit  works  repentance  and  faith. 
Through  it  He  regenerates,  converts,  and  sanc- 
tifies. 

This  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
concerning  the  use  and  efficacy  of  the  divine 
Word.  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  Apostles' 
Creed,  Art.  III.  explanation  says:  "I  be- 
lieve that  I  cannot  by  my  own  reason  or 
strength  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  my  Lord,  or 
come  to  Him;  but  that  the  Holy  Spirit  hath 
called  me  through  the  Gospel,  enlightened  me 
by  His  gifts,"  etc.  Thus  also  Augsburg  Con- 
fession, Art.  V. :  *'For  by  the  Word  and  Sacra- 
ments, as  by  instruments,  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
given;  who  worketh  faith,  where  and  when  it 
pleaseth  God,  in  those  that  hear  the  Gospel" 

Is  this  the  teaching  of  the  Word  itself?  Let 
us  see.  In  John  vi.  63,  Jesus  says:  ''The 
words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit 
and  they  are  life."  In  Eomans  i.  16,  Paul  says 
of  the  Gospel:  ''It  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth."  Heb. 
iv.  12:    "For  the  word  of  God  is  quick  (living) 


THE   WORD   AS   A   MEANS   OF   GRACE  145 

and  powerful,  and  sharper  than  any  two-edged 
sword."  1  Peter  i.  23:  ''Born  again  not  of 
corruptible  seed,  hut  of  incorruptible,  by  the 
Word  of  God,  which  liveth  and  abideth  for- 
ever." James  i.  21:  ''Receive  with  meekness 
the  engrafted  Word,  which  is  able  to  save  your 
souls."  It  is  clear,  therefore,  chat  the  Word 
does  claim  for  itself  virtue,  life,  power,  and 
effectiveness. 

But  does  it  claim  to  be  the  Spirit's  means 
and  instrument,  by  and  through  which  He 
operates?  In  2  Cor.  iii.  8,  it  is  called  a  "minis- 
tration of  the  Spirit."  In  Eph.  vi.  17,  Paul 
calls  it  the  "sword  of  the  Spirit." 

We  learn  the  same  truth  from  the  fact  that 
the  same  effects  are  ascribed  indiscriminately 
to  the  Spirit  and  to  the  Word,  showing  clearly 
that  where  one  is,  there  the  other  is  also,  and 
that  one  acts  through  the  other. 

Thus  the  divine  call  is  ascribed  in  one  place 
to  the  Spirit,  and  in  another  to  the  Word.  Eev. 
xxii  17.  "The  Spirit  .  .  .  says  come."  In 
the  parables,  Christ's  ministers,  preaching  the 
Word,  say:    "Come,  for  all  things  are  ready." 

In  like  manner,  enlightening,  or  teaching,  is 
ascribed  to  both.  John  xiv.  26,  Jesus  says  of 
the  Spirit:  "He  shall  teach  you  all  things;" 
chapter  xvi.  13,  "He  shall  guide  you  into  all 
truth."  He  is  called  a  "spirit  of  wisdom" — a 
"spirit  of  light."   On  the  other  hand,  the  Word 


146  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

is  called  a  ''Word  of  wisdom;"  also,  Ps.  cxix. 
130:  ''The  entrance  of  thy  Word  giveth 
light;"  2  Tim.  iii.  15:  The  Scriptures  are  said 
to  be  "able  to  make  wise  unto  salvation;"  2 
Pet.  i.  19:  It  is  as  "a  light  that  shineth  in  a 
dark  place." 

So,  also,  regeneration  is  ascribed  to  both. 
John  iii.  5 :  "Bom  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit;" 
verse  6:  "That  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is 
spirit;"  verse  8:  "So  is  every  one  that  is  born 
of  the  Spirit;"  1  John  v.  4:  "For  ivhatsoever 
is  born  of  God  {i.  e.,  of  God's  Spirit)  over- 
cometh  the  world."  But  of  the  divine  Word 
it  is  said,  1  Pet.  i.  23,  "Born  again  .  .  ,  by 
the  Word  of  God;"  James  i.  18:  "Of  his  own 
will  begat  he  us,  with  the  Word  of  truth." 

In  like  manner,  sanctification  is  ascribed  to 
both  John  x^di.  17:  "Sanctify  them  through 
thy  truth;  thy  Word  is  truth;"  but  1  Cor.  vi. 
11,  "Ye  are  sanctified  ,  .  .  by  the  Spirit 
of  our  God." 

And  thus  we  might  go  on,  and  show  that  what 
is  ascribed  in  one  place  to  the  Spirit,  is  ascribed 
in  another  place  to  the  Word — proving  con- 
clusively that  the  two  always  go  together. 
Where  one  is,  there  the  other  is  also.  The 
Spirit  operates  through  the  Word,  whether  it 
be  the  written,  the  preached,  the  sacramental, 
or  the  Word  in  conversation  or  reflection.  The 
ordinary  operations   of  the  Holy  Spirit  are 


THE   WOED   AS   A   MEANS    OF   GBACE  147 

through  that  Word.  Those  who  are  renewed 
and  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit  are  those  who 
have  been  influenced  by  this  regenerating  and 
sanctifying  Word. 

This  blessed  Word  of  God,  quick,  powerful, 
able  to  save  the  soul,  because  of  the  life-giving 
Spirit  connected  with  it,  is  not  only  to  be  read, 
but  to  be  preached  and  heard.  This  is  God's 
own  arrangement.  From  the  days  of  Enoch, 
Noah,  the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  down  to 
Jesus  and  the  apostles,  and  from  them  to  the 
end  of  the  Gospel  dispensation.  He  has  had 
and  will  have  His  preachers  of  righteousness. 

Our  Lord  preached  His  own  Gospel,  the 
words  of  spirit  and  of  life.  He  commissioned 
His  apostles  to  preach  the  same  Gospel.  They 
"went  everywhere  preaching  the  Word.*'  The 
Church  called  and  sent  others,  whose  life-work 
it  was  to  "preach  the  Word,  to  he  instant  in 
season  and  out  of  season,  reproving,  rebuking, 
exhorting.*'  And  this  divine  arrangement  is 
to  continue.  Eom.  x.  13-15:  "For  whosoever 
shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  shall  be 
saved;  how  then  shall  they  call  on  Him  in  whom 
they  have  not  believed?  And  how  shall  they 
believe  in  Him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard? 
And  how  shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher? 
And  how  shall  they  preach  except  they  be 
sent?"  1  Cor.  1.  21:  "It  pleased  God  by  the 
foolishness  of  preaching  to  save  them  that  be- 


148  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

lieve;"  Rom.  x.  17:  ''So  then  faith  cometh  by 
hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God." 
Therefore,  according  to  Rom.  x.  6-8,  let  no  one 
say,  ''Who  shall  ascend  into  heaven  {i.  e.,  to 
bring  Christ  down  from  above),  or  who  shall 
descend  into  the  deep?  {i.  e.,  to  bring  Christ  up 
again  from  the  dead)  for  "the  Word  is  nigh 
thee  .  .  .  that  is  the  Word  of  faith  which 
we  preach."  This  then  is  evidently  God's 
order  of  the  application  of  divine  Grace. 

And  yet,  notwithstanding  these  plain  declara- 
tions, men  try  all  sorts  of  measures  and 
methods  to  bring  Christ  near,  because  they  can- 
not understand  that  when  they  have  the  Word, 
they  have  the  Spirit,  and  when  they  have  the 
Spirit,  they  have  Christ.  In  Luke  xi.  27,  we 
read  how  a  woman  called  down  a  blessing  on 
the  mother  of  our  Lord  because  she  was  privi- 
leged to  have  borne  Him.  But  Jesus  answered, 
"Yea,  rather  blessed  are  they  that  hear  the 
Word  of  God  and  keep  it."  That  Word 
carries  the  Spirit  to  the  hearer,  and  through  it 
converts  the  sinner  and  sanctifies  the  saint.  In 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  also  we  read  how 
again  and  again  the  Spirit  was  given  through 
and  in  connection  with  the  Word.  The  Apostles 
depended  on  nothing  but  Word  and  Sacrament. 

The  Lutheran  doctrine,  then,  that  the  Word 
of  God  is  the  great  effectual  means  of  Grace; 
that  it  is  the  vehicle  and  instrument  of  the 


THE   WORD   AS   A   MEANS    OF   GRACE  149 

Holy  Spirit ;  that  through  it,  the  Spirit  renews 
the  soul,  applies  forgiveness,  and  sanctifies  the 
hearer  or  reader  more  and  more — is  the  pure 
truth  of  Christ.  Hence,  wherever  the  Lutheran 
Church  is  true  to  her  name  and  faith,  she 
preaches  the  whole  counsel  of  God,  and  relies 
on  that  for  ingathering  and  upbuilding.  A 
true  Lutheran  pulpit  cannot  be  a  sensational 
pulpit,  for  discoursing  wordly  wisdom,  philoso- 
phy, poetry,  or  politics.  It  must  expound  the 
Word,  and  never  gets  done  preaching  repent- 
ance towards  God  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

What  a  beautiful  and  harmonious  system  of 
God's  methods  of  saving  men  is  thus  brought 
into  view!  How  helpful  to  the  sinner  desiring 
salvation !  Instead  of  waiting  and  hoping  and 
dreaming  of  something  wonderful  to  happen 
to  bring  him  into  the  kingdom,  he  needs  only 
to  go  to  the  divine  Word  and  let  that  Word  do 
its  work  in  his  heart. 

"Though  devils  all  the  world  should  fill, 

All  watching  to  devour  us, 
We  tremble  not,  we  fear  no  ill, 

They  cannot  overpower  us. 
This  world's  prince  may  still 
Scowl  fierce  as  he  will. 
He  can  harm  us  none, 
He's  judged,  the  deed  is  done. 

One  little  Word  o'erthrows  him. 


150  THE  WAY  0¥  SALVATION" 

"The  Word  they  still  shall  let  remain, 

And  not  a  thank  have  for  it, 
He's  by  oxir  side  upon  the  plain, 

With  His  good  gifts  and  Spirit; 
Take  they  then  our  life, 
Goods,  fame,  child  and  wife; 
When  their  worst  is  done. 
They  yet  have  nothing  won. 
The  Kingdom  ours  remaineth." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Conversion,  Its  Nature  and  Necessity. 

CLOSELY  related  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
power,  or  efficacy,  of  the  divine  Word — as 
considered  in  the  last  chapter — is  the  doctrine 
of  conversion.  It  is  the  subject  of  conversion, 
therefore,  that  we  now  purpose  to  examine.  It 
is  an  important  subject.  It  deserves  a  promi- 
nent place  in  treating  of  the  Way  of  Salvation. 
It  is  also  an  intensely  personal  subject.  Each 
one  who  desires  to  be  in  the  Way  of  Salvation 
is  personally  interested  in  it.  The  eternal  des- 
tiny of  every  one  who  reads  these  pages  is 
closely  connected  with  the  question  whether  or 
not  he  is  converted.  To  be  in  an  unconverted 
state,  is  to  be  in  a  state  of  great  peril.  The 
issues  of  eternity  are  involved  in  the  final  de- 
cision of  the  soul,  in  reference  to  this  great  sub- 
ject. It  is  of  the  most  vital  importance,  there- 
fore, that  each  one  examine  and  understand  it. 
And  yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  are 
few  subjects  concerning  which  those  interested 
are  more  in  the  dark.  Stranger  still,  often 
those  who  preach  and  talk  most  about  it,  who 
151 


152  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

are  loudest  in  proclaiming  its  necessity,  know 
least  about  it.  Ask  them  as  to  its  meaning,  its 
nature,  its  elements.  Ask  them  who  need  it, 
how  it  is  brought  about,  and  what  are  the  evi- 
dences of  its  existence;  and  they  give  at  best 
very  confused  and  unscriptural  answers.  We 
therefore  propose  to  examine  it  in  the  light  of 
the  Word  of  God,  and  may  He,  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  enable  us  to  know  and  believe  its  divine 
teachings !  * 

What  then  is  conversion?  The  original  and 
simple  meaning  of  the  word  convert  is  to  turn 
— to  turn  about  This  is  also  the  meaning  of 
the  Latin  word  from  which  the  English  comes. 
The  Greek  word,  which  in  the  New  Testament 
is  translated  '' convert"  or  '* conversion, "  also 
refers  to  the  act  of  turning.  It  is  so  translated 
quite  frequently.  Thus  the  same  Greek  word 
that  is  in  some  places  translated  convert,  is  in 
other  places  translated  turn,  e.  g.,  as  in  Mark 
V.  30:  ''Jesus  .  .  .  turned  him  about  in 
the  press."  Acts  xvi.  18:  ** But  Paul  .  .  . 
turned  and  said."  Matt.  xii.  44:  *'I  will  re- 
turn into  my  house. ' '  Acts  xxvi.  18 :  *  *  To  turn 
them  from  darkness  to  light. "  And  so  in  many 
other  places.  It  is  plain,  then,  that  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  is  a  turning  or  facing  about — 
a  returning,  or  a  changing  of  direction — as  if  a 

*  For  an  examination  and  application  of  Bible  examples 
of  Conversion,  see  the  book  "New  Testament  Conversions." 


CONVERSION,  ITS  NAME  AND  NECESSITY         153 

traveler,  on  finding  himself  going  the  wrong 
way,  turns,  returns,  changes  his  course,  comes 
back,  he  converts  himself. 

Applying  this  word  now  to  a  moral  or  re- 
ligious use,  it  means  a  turning  from  sin  to 
righteousness,  from  Satan  to  God.  The  trans- 
gressor who  had  been  walking  in  the  way  of 
disobedience  and  enmity  against  God,  and  to- 
wards eternal  death,  is  turned  about  into  the 
way  of  righteousness,  towards  eternal  life. 
This  is  a  change  of  direction,  but  it  is  also  some- 
thing more.  It  is  a  change  of  state — from  a 
state  of  sin  to  a  state  of  Grace.  It  is  still  more. 
It  is  a  change  of  nature — from  a  sinner  unto  a 
saint.  It  is  finally  a  change  of  relation — from 
an  outcast  and  stranger  unto  a  child  and  heir. 
Thus  there  is  an  outward  and  an  inward  turn- 
ing, a  complete  change. 

That  this  is  the  scriptural  meaning  of  con- 
version is  very  clear  from  Acts  xxvi.  18.  The 
Lord  is  about  to  send  Paul  to  the  Gentiles  for 
the  purpose  of  converting  them.  He  describes 
the  work  of  conversion  thus:  ''To  open  their 
eyes  and  to  turn  them  from  darkness  to  light, 
and  from  the  poiver  of  Satan  unto  God;  that 
they  may  receive  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  in- 
heritance among  them  which  are.  sanctified  hy 
faith  that  is  in  me.'* 

As  already  remarked,  the  word  here  trans- 


154  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

lated  to  'Hurn"  is  the  same  that  is  elsewhere 
translated  to  '^ convert." 

If  we  now  inquire  more  particularly  into  the 
nature  or  process  of  this  change  which  is  called 
''conversion,"  we  find  in  it  two  constituent  ele- 
ments. The  one  is  penitence  or  contrition,  the 
other  is  faith.  Taken  together,  they  make  up 
conversion.  In  passing,  we  may  briefly  notice 
that  sometimes  the  Scriptures  use  the  word 
' '  repentance ' '  as  embracing  both  penitence  and 
faith,  thus  making  it  synonymous  with  con- 
version. 

Penitence  or  contrition,  as  the  first  part  of 
conversion,  is  sorrow  for  sin.  It  is  a  realizing 
sense  of  the  nature  and  guilt  of  sin,  of  its 
heinousness  and  its  damnable  character.  True 
penitence  is  indeed  a  painful  experience.  A 
penitent  heart  is,  therefore,  called  ^'a  broken 
and  a  contrite  heart.'*  It  takes  from  the  sin- 
ner his  self-satisfaction  and  false  peace.  It 
makes  him  restless,  dissatisfied  and  troubled. 
Instead  of  loving  and  delighting  in  sin,  it  makes 
him  hate  sin  and  turn  from  it  with  aversion.  It 
brings  the  sinner  low  in  the  dust.  He  cries 
out,  '^I  am  vile;**  ''I  loathe  myself;'*  '^God 
be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.** 

This  is  the  penitence  insisted  on  by  the  pro- 
phets, breathed  forth  in  the  penitential  psalms, 
preached  by  John  the  Baptist,  by  Christ  and 
by  all  His  apostles.    It  is  not  necessary  to  quote 


CONVERSION,  ITS  NAME  AND  NECESSITY        155 

passages  in  proof  of  this.  Every  Bible  reader 
knows  that  the  Word  is  full  of  exhortations  to 
such  sorrow  and  repenting  for  sin. 

But  penitence  must  not  stop  with  hating  and 
bemoaning  sin,  and  longing  for  deliverance. 
The  penitent  sinner  must  resolutely  turn  from 
sin  towards  Jesus  Christ  the  Saviour.  He 
must  believe  that  He  took  upon  Himself  the 
punishment  due  to  his  sins,  and  by  His  death 
atoned  for  them;  that  He  satisfied  a  violated 
law,  and  an  offended  Law-giver;  that  thus  He 
has  become  his  Substitute  and  Redeemer,  and 
has  taken  away  all  his  sins.  This  the  penitent 
must  believe.  Thus  must  he  cast  himself  upon 
Christ,  and  trust  in  Him  with  a  childlike  confi- 
dence, knowing  that  there  is  now,  therefore,  no 
condemnation.  Having  this  faith,  he  is  justi- 
fied, and  '^  being  justified  hy  faith,  he  has  peace 
with  God.'* 

True  penitence  always  grows  into  faith,  and 
true  faith  always  presupposes  penitence. 
"Where  one  is,  there  the  other  is:  and  where 
both  are,  there  is  conversion.  Penitence,  there- 
fore, is  not  something  that  goes  before  conver- 
sion, and  faith  something  that  follows  after, 
and  conversion  an  indefinable  something  sand- 
wiched in  between,  as  some  seem  to  imagine; 
but  penitence  and  faith  are  the  constituent  ele- 
ments that  make  up  conversion. 

In  the  next  place  we  would  inquire:     Who 


156  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

needs  this  change?  We  answer,  first,  all  who 
are  not  in  a  state  of  loving  obedience  to  God; 
that  is,  all  who  are  not  turned  away  from  and 
against  sin  and  Satan,  and  turned  toward  holi- 
ness and  God.  On  the  other  hand,  all  who 
really  hate  sin,  mourn  over  it,  strive  against 
it,  trust  in  and  cling  to  Christ  as  their  personal 
Eedeemer,  need  no  conversion.  No  matter 
whether  they  can  tell  where  and  when  and  how 
they  were  converted  or  not.  All  who  know  by 
blessed  experience  that  they  now  have  in  their 
hearts  the  elements  of  penitence  and  faith,  are 
in  a  state  of  conversion,  and  if  they  earnestly 
ask  God  they  may  have  the  assurance  that  their 
sins  are  forgiven  and  that  they  are  accepted 
in  the  Beloved.  True,  this  assurance  may  some- 
times be  dimmed  by  doubt  or  under  the  strain 
of  strong  temptation;  but  as  long  as  there  is 
real  hatred  of  sin  and  an  earnest  desire  to 
rest  in  Christ  alone,  there  is  Grace  and  accept- 
ance with  Christ. 

To  the  class  of  those  who  are  in  a  converted 
state  belong  those  baptized  children  of  the 
Church  who  have  kept  their  baptismal  covenant. 
Given  to  Christ  in  holy  baptism,  the  seeds  of 
the  new  life  implanted  through  that  divine  or- 
dinance, reared  and  trained  by  Christian 
parents  or  guardians,  they  have  belonged  to 
Christ  from  their  childhood.  From  their 
earliest  years  they  have  hated  sin,  repented 


CONVERSION,  ITS  NAME  AND  NECESSITY        157 

of  it,  trusted  in  Christ,  and  loved  Him.  They 
are  ^'turned  from  darkness  to  light  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  to  God."  They  need  only 
that  daily  dying  to  sin,  and  that  daily  turning  to 
Christ,  which  all  Christians  need  on  account  of 
the  sins  and  infirmities  of  the  flesh  which  still 
cleave  to  them.  Such  were  Joseph,  and  Samuel, 
and  Daniel,  and  Jeremiah,  and  John  the  Bap- 
tist, and  Timothy,  and  others  of  whom  we  read 
in  the  Scriptures.  They  were  children  of  the 
covenant,  and  therefore  children  of  God.  Of 
this  class  we  have  written  in  former  chapters. 
We  need  not  enlarge  on  them  here.  They  need 
no  conversion,  because  they  are  in  a  converted 
state.  Yet  there  are  well-meaning  people,  who 
have  more  zeal  than  knowledge,  who  would 
violently  exhort  even  such  to  be  converted. 
Thus  would  they  confuse  them,  distract  them, 
unsettle  their  faith  in  Christ,  quench  the  Spirit, 
and,  perhaps,  drive  them  to  unbelief  and 
despair.  From  all  such  teachers,  we  pray: 
' '  Good  Lord,  deliver  us. ' ' 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

Conversion — ^Varied  Phenomena  or 
Experiences 

WE  have  spoken  of  the  meaning  of  this  term, 
inquired  into  the  nature  of  the  change,  and 
noted  its  essential  elements.  We  have  also 
learned  that  there  are  some  who  do  not  need 
it  because  they  are  in  a  converted  state,  and 
that  all  who  are  not  in  such  a  state  of  Grace, 
do  need  conversion,  regardless  of  anything 
that  may  or  may  not  have  taken  place  in  the 


"We  inquire  now  as  to  the  agencies  or  means 
by  which  this  change  is  brought  about.  For  it 
is  a  change  which  man  can  certainly  not  effect 
by  his  own  efforts.  Of  this  change  it  can  cer- 
tainly be  said  that  it  is  "not  ly  might,  nor  hy 
power,  hut  hy  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord.*'  To 
have  this  change  brought  about  in  the  heart, 
all  need  to  pray  in  the  words  of  the  Psalmist, 
Ps.  Ixxxv.  4,  "Turn  us,  0  God  of  our  salva- 
tion;" or  as  Ephraim  in  Jer.  xxxi.  18,  "Turn 
thou  me  and  1  shall  he  turned,  for  thou  art  the 
Lord  my  God;'*  or  as  Judah  in  Lamentations, 
158 


CONVERSION — PHENOMENA   OR  EXPERIENCE      159 

V.  21,  "Turn  thou  us  unto  thee,  0  Lord,  and  wc 
shall  he  turned."  It  is  God  the  Holy  Ghost 
who  must  work  this  change  in  the  soul.  This 
He  does  through  His  own  life-giving  Word. 
It  is  the  office  of  that  Word,  as  the  organ  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  to  bring  about  a  knowledge 
of  sin,  to  awaken  sorrow  and  contrition,  and  to 
make  the  sinner  hate  and  turn  from  his  sin. 
That  same  Word  then  directs  the  sinner  to 
Him  who  came  to  save  him  from  sin.  It  takes 
him  to  the  cross,  it  enables  him  to  believe  that 
his  sins  were  all  atoned  for  there,  and  that, 
therefore,  he  is  not  condemned.  In  other 
words,  the  Word  of  God  awakens  and  con- 
stantly deepens  true  penitence.  It  also  begets 
and  constantly  increases  true  faith.  Or,  in  one 
word,  it  converts  the  sinner.  Of  this  wonder- 
ful power  and  efficacy  in  the  Word,  we  have 
already  fully  written,  so  that  we  need  not  en- 
ter upon  this  again.  To  the  Word,  then,  let 
the  unconverted  sinner  go.  Let  him  be  care- 
ful to  put  no  barrier  in  the  way  of  its  influence. 
Let  him  permit  it  to  have  free  course,  and  it 
will  do  its  own  blessed  work. 

We  desire  now  to  notice  and  to  call  special 
attention  to  the  diversified  phenomena  and  ex- 
periences incident  to  this  change. 

There  are  some,  indeed,  who  will  not  admit 
that  there  are  any  variations.  They  would 
measure  all  by  the  same  standard,  and  that 


160  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

standard  often  a  very  abnormar  one.  With 
some,  the  only  standard  is  their  own  distorted 
experience.  In  their  pharisaic  self-righteous- 
ness they  are  ready  to  assert  that  every  one 
whose  experience  does  not  in  every  respect 
conform  to  their  own  is  not  converted.  The 
writer  has  frequently,  in  his  pastoral  work,  met 
poor;  downcast  souls,  who  were  groping  in  the 
dark,  bemoaning  themselves,  and  living  a  cheer- 
less life,  because  they  had  been  taught  that,  as 
they  had  not  had  an  experience  just  like  some- 
body else,  they  were  not  converted,  and  had 
neither  part  nor  lot  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  He 
has  also  met  more  than  one  who,  by  just  such 
vagaries  and  delusions,  had  been  driven  to  un- 
belief and  despair.  And  what  a  relief  it  often 
is  to  such  poor,  benighted  ones,  if  they  are 
not  too  far  gone,  to  be  led  out  of  their  vain 
imaginings  into  the  blessed  light  of  God's 
truth. 

We  notice,  first,  that  not  all  conversions  are 
alike  clearly  marked.  Some  are  more  strongly 
marked  than  others.  There  are  greater  and 
lesser  degrees  of  intensity  in  the  change.  The 
degree  of  intensity,  or  depth  of  experience,  may 
depend  on  several  things.  It  may  depend,  to 
a  certain  extent,  on  the  temperament  of  the  in- 
dividual. One  person  is  of  a  phlegmatic  tem- 
perament; his  mind  is  sluggish;  his  feelings 
are  not  deep ;  he  rarely  becomes  excited.    Of  a 


CONVERSION PHENOMENA   OR   EXPERIENCE      161 

cool,  calculating  disposition,  he  does  everything 
deliberately  and  cautiously.  He  feels  the 
ground  before  him  ere  he  takes  a  step.  When 
God's  Word  comes  to  such  an  one  it  does  not 
generally  revolutionize  him  at  once.  He  hears 
it,  carries  it  home,  weighs  it,  ponders  it,  and 
wants  to  hear  more.  Gradually,  slowly,  his 
mind  is  enlightened,  his  heart  is  moved,  his  will 
is  changed.  In  him  the  Word  is  likely  to  grow 
as  a  seed,  or  operate  like  leaven  in  meal.  There 
is  seldom  much  excitement,  and  little  outward 
manifestation. 

Another  is  of  a  sanguine  temperament;  he  is 
impulsive,  easily  aroused,  and  ready  to  jump 
at  conclusions.  When  God's  Word  comes  to 
him,  and  is  not  wilfully  opposed,  it  is  likely  to 
take  a  strong  hold  of  him.  It  may  so  alarm  him 
and  take  away  his  peace  that  he  may  at  once  see 
the  depth  of  his  guilt.  Again,  when  Christ,  His 
atonement  and  love  for  guilty  men  are  pre- 
sented he  may  quickly  lay  hold  of  the  hope  set 
before  him  in  the  Gospel,  and  rest  himself  en- 
tirely on  Christ.  God's  Word  comes  to  him  like 
a  hammer  that  breaks  the  stony  heart.  Both 
persons  have  been  led  by  the  same  Spirit, 
through  the  same  Word.  Both  have  repented 
and  believed,  but  each  in  his  own  way. 

The  degree  of  intensity  may  also  depend  on 
the  former  life  of  the  person. 

One  has  wandered  very  far  from  his  Father 's 


162  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

house.  He  has  ivasted  his  substance  in  riotous 
living.  He  has  sunken  very  low  in  sin  and  guilt. 
When  God's  Word  comes  to  such  an  one,  and 
shows  him  his  wretched  state,  when  he  comes 
to  himself,  his  penitence  is  likely  to  be  deep  and 
painful,  and  when  he  is  enabled  to  believe,  his 
faith  will  probably  be  quite  joyful,  because  he 
realizes  the  depth  from  which  he  was  drawn. 
God's  Word  has  acted  on  him  like  a  fire,  burn- 
ing deep  down  into  the  conscience,  consuming 
its  dross. 

Another  has  never  wandered  so  far  away. 
He  has  all  along  been  more  or  less  under  divine 
influence.  Baptized  in  childhood,  brought  up 
amid  Christian  restraints,  he  has  at  least  ob- 
served the  outward  obligations  of  religion, 
though  he  may  not  in  the  past  have  yielded  him- 
self unreservedly  unto  Christ.  When  such  an 
one  does  give  himself  to  God,  his  repentance 
may  not  be  so  marked,  or  his  faith  be  so  demon- 
strative, but  on  this  account  the  conversion  is 
none  the  less  real.  God's  Word,  at  length, 
opened  his  heart,  as  the  heart  of  Lydia,  the  sel- 
ler of  purple,  was  opened. 

We  notice  in  the  next  place  that  there  are 
differences  in  the  duration  of  the  process.  With 
some  the  process  lasts  longer  than  with  others. 
This  fact  is  implied  indeed  in  the  variations 
noted  above.  On  one  person  the  Word  may 
make  but  a  superficial  impression  at  first.    It 


CONVERSION PHENOMENA   OR   EXPERIENCE      163 

may  be  only  a  slight  dissatisfaction  with  self. 
But  with  more  light  and  knowledge,  the  feeling 
of  penitence  is  deepened.  Longings  for  some- 
thing better  are  awakened.  Yearnings  and  out- 
cryings  after  deliverance  arise  from  the  heart. 
There  is  then  at  first  only  a  timid  trembling 
look  to  Christ.  Gradually,  slowly,  the  faith  is 
drawn  out,  until  the  heart  is  enabled  to  cast 
itself  on  the  Saviour  and  rest  trustingly  there. 
It  may  be  weeks,  months,  or  even  years,  before 
that  penitent  one  comes  out  into  the  clear  sun- 
light of  assurance  and  peace.  In  all  such  cases 
it  is  ^' first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  and  then  the 
full  corn  in  the  ear." 

On  the  other  hand,  we  freely  admit  that  there 
are  sudden  conversions.  God's  word  comes  as 
a  hammer  or  as  a  fire  ( Jer.  xxiii.  29).  It  smites 
and  burns  until  the  sinner  is  brought  low  in  the 
dust.  The  heart  is  broken  and  becomes  con- 
trite and  ready  to  lay  hold  of  the  Crucified 
One,  as  soon  as  He  is  presented.  To  this  class 
generally,  belong  some  of  those  noted  above 
who  are  of  a  sanguine  temperament,  and  those 
who  have  fallen  deeply  into  sin.  Going  to  the 
Word  of  God  for  examples  of  the  two  latter 
classes,  we  might  mention  Zaccheus,  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  the  Philippian  jailer,  and  the  three 
thousand  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  as  cases  of 
sudden  conversion — while  we  might  instance 
the  disciples  of  Christ  in  general,  as  cases  of 


164  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

slow  and  gradual  conversion.     1  Cor.  xii.  6, 

"There  are  diversities  of  operation,  hut  it  is 
the  same  God  which  worketh  all  in  all." 

From  all  this  it  follows  that  not  every  one 
can  tell  the  exact  time  when,  and  the  place 
where  he  was  converted.  True,  some  can. 
Zaccheus  and  the  Jailor,  and  Saul,  and  the 
three  thousand,  w^ould  doubtless  always  remem- 
ber and  be  able  to  tell  about  the  time  and  place 
and  circumstances  of  their  entrance  into  the 
kingdom.  But  could  the  apostles  of  Jesus  tell? 
Do  we  not  read  how  slowly  they  were  enlight- 
ened ;  how,  little  by  little,  their  errors  had  to  be 
removed,  and  the  truth  applied  ?  They  did  not, 
in  fact,  become  established  in  the  faith  until 
after  the  resurrection. 

And  so  it  is  with  many,  probably  indeed, 
with  most  of  the  very  best  Christians  in  the 
church  to-day.  They  cannot  tell  when  they 
were  converted. 

Neither  is  it  necessary.  On  the  Day  of  Judg- 
ment the  question  will  not  be  asked:  ** Where 
and  when  and  how  were  you  converted?"  The 
question  will  be,  ''Were  you  in  a  converted 
state,  turned  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  to  God?"  No  matter 
whether  you  belonged  to  that  favored  class  who 
kept  their  baptismal  covenant  unbroken;  or 
whether,  after  you  had  been  a  stranger  and  a 
foreigner   for   a   time,   you   were   slowly   and 


CONVERSION PHENOMENA   OR   EXPERIENCE      165 

through  much  doubt  and  misgiving  brought  to 
penitence  and  faith;  or  whether  you  were  sud- 
denly brought  into  the  kingdom. 

Can  each  one  then  tell  whether  he  is  at 
present  in  a  converted  state  or  not?  We  an- 
swer unhesitatingly,  Yes,  to  a  certainty.  The 
inquirer  need  only  look  into  his  heart  and  see 
how  his  sins  a  feet  him.  Do  his  sins  grieve  him  ? 
Does  he  hate  them?  Does  he  earnestly  long 
and  strive  to  be  rid  of  them?  Does  he  daily 
turn  to  Jesus  Christ  for  forgiveness  and 
strength?  If  he  can  answer  these  questions  in 
the  affirmative,  he  has  the  elements  and  evi- 
dences of  conversion  and  the  new  life.  Though 
faith  be  weak,  it  is  accepted.  Though  assur- 
ance at  times  be  dim,  the  vision  of  faith  clouded, 
and  faith  itself  almost  unconscious,  it  still 
saves ;  for  it  is  not  the  assurance,  but  the  faith, 
that  justifies. 

But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  his  sins  do  not 
trouble  the  sinner;  if  they  are  as  trifles  to 
him;  if  they  do  not  daily  drive  him  to  the 
Cross,  the  elements  and  evidences  of  the  new 
life  are  certainly  wanting.  Such  a  person  is 
in  an  unconverted  state.  And  let  not  such  an 
one  delude  himself  with  the  false  idea  that 
something,  which  he  called  a  change,  had  taken 
place  at  some  time  in  the  past.  He  can  know 
whether  he  is  now  in  the  faith. 

It  is   poor  theology,   it  is   altogether   anti- 


166  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

scriptural,  for  a  Christian  to  go  through  the 
world  singing  plaintively: 

"  'Tis  a  point  I  long  to  know; 

Oft  it  causes  anxious  ttiought, 
Do  I  love  the  Lord,  or  no? 
Am  I  His,  or  am  I  not?" 

He  whose  faith,  reaching  up  out  of  a  heart 
that  mourns  over  and  hates  sin,  lays  hold  of 
Christ,  even  tremblingly,  can  say,  "7  know  in 
whom  I  have  believed,"  "I  know  that  my  Re- 
deemer liveth."    He  can  joyfully  sing: 

"I  know  that  my  Redeemer  lives! 
What  comfort  this  sweet  sentence  gives! 
He  lives,  He  lives,  who  once  was  dead, 
He  lives,  my  ever-living  Head. 

"He  lives  to  bless  me  with  His  love, 
He  lives  to  plead  for  me  above. 
He  lives  my  hungry  soul  to  feed. 
He  lives  to  help  in  time  of  need. 

"He  lives  to  silence  all  my  fears, 
He  lives  to  wipe  away  my  tears, 
He  lives  to  calm  my  troubled  heart. 
He  lives  all  blessings  to  impart. 

"He  lives,  all  glory  to  His  Name! 
He  lives,  my  Jesus,  still  the  same; 
Oh  the  sweet  joy  this  sentence  gives, 
I  know  that  my  Redeemer  lives!" 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CoxvERSiox   (concluded) 

( These  theses  on  Conversion  were  presented 
by  the  first  union  committee  in  1908  and 
adopted  by  the  Hauge  Synod,  the  Norwegian 
Synod,  and  the  United  Norwegian  Lutheran 
Church  as  part  of  the  union  agreement.) 

1. 

In  his  natural  state  man  is  fallen  away  from 
God,  is  a  stranger  unto  Him  and  His  grace, 
and  even  His  enemy. 

1  Cor.  2:14:  The  natural  man  receiveth  not 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God;  for  they  are 
foolishness  unto  him;  and  he  can  not  know 
them,  because  they  are  spiritually  judged. 

Eph.  2:12:  Ye  Avere  at  that  time  separate 
from  Christ,  alienated  from  the  commonwealth 
of  Israel,  and  strangers  from  the  covenants  of 
the  promise,  having  no  hope  and  without  God 
in  the  world. 

167 


168  THE  ^VAY  OF  SAI,VATIOX 

Koni.  8:7:  The  mind  of  the  flesh  is  enmity 
against  God;  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law 
of  God,  neither  indeed  can  it  be. 

Col.  1:21:  And  you,  being  in  time  past 
alienated  and  enemies  in  your  mind,  in  your 
evil  works.  .  .  . 

2. 

In  his  natural  state  man  is  also  void  of  spir- 
itual power  and  dead  in  sin. 

Eph.  2:1 :  And  you  did  he  make  alive,  when 
ye  were  dead  through  your  trespasses  and  sins. 

Eph.  5:14:  Wherefore  he  saith:  Awake, 
thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead, 
and  Christ  shall  shine  vipon  thee. 

Col.  2:13:  And  you,  being  dead  through 
your  trespasses  and  the  uncircumsion  of  your 
flesh,  you — I  say — did  he  make  alive  togethei* 
with  him,  having  forgiven  us  all  our  trespasses. 

3. 

Xo  power  or  ability  is  found  in  man  himself 
to  change  this  deplorable  state  or  to  help  even 
in  the  least  to  eff'ect  a  change. 

Job.  3:6:  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh,  is 
flesh;  and  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit,  is 
spirit. 

Rom.  8:7-8:  Because  the  mind  of  the  flesli 
is  enmity  against  God;  for  it  is  not  subject  to 
the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  it  be;  and 


coxvERSiox   (concluded)  169 

they  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please  God. 

Matt.  7:17-18:  Even  so  every  good  tree 
bringeth  forth  good  fruit ;  but  the  corrupt  tree 
bringeth  forth  evil  fruit.  A  good  tree  cannot 
bring  forth  evil  fruit,  neither  can  a  corrupt 
tree  bring  forth  good  fruit. 

John  15:5:  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branch- 
es: He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the 
same  beareth  much  fruit ;  for  apart  from  me  ye 
can  do  nothing. 

4. 

The  great  change  which  must  take  ])lace 
with  a  man  fallen  away  from  God  and  dead 
in  sin.  Scripture  calls  conversion. 

5. 

Conversion  means  a  translation  from  dark- 
ness to  light,  from  Satan's  power  unto  God. 
and  this  is  eff'ected  by  knowledge  and  contri- 
tion of  sin  and  by  faith  in  Jesus.  Two  parts, 
therefore,  belong  to  conversion:  1)  Contrition, 
and  2)  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus. 

6. 
God  uses  His  law  to  bring  a  man  to  acknowl- 
edgment of  his  sinful  state  and  to  repentance. 
This  law,  through  its  conviction  and  judgment 
works  upon  the  intellect,  the  will,  and  the  con- 
science, and  this  law  man  must  listen  to  and 
reflect  upon. 


170  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATfOX 

Rom.  3:20:  By  the  works  of  the  hiw  shall 
no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight;  for  through 
the  law  Cometh  the  knowledge  of  sin. 

Rom.  7:7:  What  shall  we  say  then?  Is  the 
law  sin?  God  forbid.  Howbeit,  I  had  not 
known  sin,  except  through  the  law;  for  I  had 
not  known  coveting,  except  the  law  had  said: 
Thou  shalt  not  covet. 

2  Cor.  7:10:  For  godly  sorrow  worketh  re- 
])entance  unto  salvation,  a  repentance  wliicli 
bringeth  no  regret. 

^lark  4:23-24:  If  any  man  hath  ears  to  hear, 
let  him  hear.  And  he  saith  unto  them:  Take 
heed  what  ye  hear :  with  what  measure  ye  mete 
it  shall  be  measured  unto  you;  and  more  shall 
be  given  imto  you. 

Is.  1:10:  Hear  the  Word  of  Jehovah,  ye 
rulers  of  Sodom;  give  ear  unto  the  law  of  our 
God,  ye  people  of  Gomorrah. 

Luke  1G:29:  Abraham  saith:  They  have 
^Nfoses  and  the  prophets;  let  them  hear  them. 

7. 
While  man,  however,  through  the  operation 
of  the  law,  may  learn  to  acknowledge  sin  and 
judgment,  he  is  as  yet  by  no  means  converted; 
for  it  is  ])ossible  for  a  man  in  such  state,  con- 
trary to  God's  ])iu"pose,  either  to  despair,  l)e- 


CONVERSION    (concluded)  171 

coine  self-righteous,  or  to  return  to  the  former 
hfe  in  sin. 

Rom.  7:12:  The  law  is  holy,  and  the  com- 
mandment holy,  and  righteous;  and  good. 

Rom.  4:15:  For  the  law  worketh  wrath. 

Rom.  3:20:  By  the  works  of  the  law  shall  no 
flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight. 

Acts  24:25:  And  as  he  (Paul)  reasoned  of 
righteousness,  and  self-control,  and  the  judg- 
ment to  come,  Fehx  was  terrified,  and  an- 
swered: Go  thy  way  for  this  time;  and  when 
I  have  a  convenient  time,  I  will  call  thee  unto 
me. 

See  also  jNIark  10:17-24,  the  young  ruler. 

8. 

When  the  law  has  acquired  such  power  over 
man's  heart  that  he  bows  before  the  judgment 
of  God,  it  works  contrition  or  sorrow  for  sin, 
and  thus  becomes  a  schoolmaster  to  bring  us 
unto  Christ. 

Ps.  51:3-4:  For  1  know  my  transgressions, 
and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me.  Against  thee, 
thee  alone  have  I  sinned,  and  done  that  which 
is  evil  in  thy  sight,  that  thou  mayest  be  jus- 
tified when  thou  speakest,  and  be  clear  when 
thou  judgest. 

Gal.  3:24:   So  that  the  law  is  become  our 


172  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

tutor  to  bring  us  to  Christ,  that  Ave  may  be 
justified  by  faith. 

9. 

The  man  who  through  the  operation  of  the 
law  has  been  brought  to  contrition  and  peni- 
tence, is  now  alone  by  the  promptings  of  the 
gospel  and  without  coercion,  led  to  believe  in 
Christ  and  thus  perfectly  converted  and 
changed.  "A  darkened  intellect  becomes  an 
enlightened  intellect,  a  rebellious  will  is 
changed  to  an  obedient  will;  and  this  Scripture 
calls  the  creation  of  a  new  heart."  Psalm  51 : 
10:  "Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God;  and 
renew  a  right  spirit  within  me." 

John  6 :  44 :  No  man  can  come  to  me,  except 
the  Father,  that  sent  me,  draw  him,  and  I  will 
raise  him  up  at  the  last  day. 

INIatt.  11:28:  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  la- 
bor and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest. 

Eph.  2 :8 :  For  by  grace  have  ye  been  saved 
through  faith ;  and  that  not  of  yourselves,  it  is 
the  gift  of  God. 

Rom.  1:16-17:  For  I  am  not  ashamed  of 
the  gospel;  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  sal- 
vation to  every  one  that  believeth;  to  the  Jew 
first  and  also  to  the  Greek.  For  therein  is 
revealed  a  righteousness  of  God  from   faith 


CONVERSION    (concluded)  173 

unto  faith;  as  it  is  written:  but  the  righteous 
shall  live  by  faith. 

Ezek.  36:26:  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give 
you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you; 
and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of 
your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you  a  heart  of  flesh. 

10. 

When  a  man  fails  to  be  converted,  his  alone 
is  the  responsibility,  because  he  was  unwilling; 
in  other  words:  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  God 
through  His  call  makes  it  possible  for  man  to 
repent  or  become  converted,  he  resists  and 
frustrates  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  both 
through  the  law  and  through  the  gospel;  and 
this,  man  can  do  at  every  point. 

^latt.  23:37:  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  that 
killeth  the  prophets,  and  stoneth  them  that  are 
sent  unto  her!  How  often  would  I  have  gath- 
ered thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gath- 
ereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye 
would  not! 

Jer.  6:16-17:  Thus  saith  Jehovah:  Stand  ye 
in  the  ways  and  see,  and  ask  for  the  old  paths, 
where  is  the  good  way;  and  walk  therein,  and 
ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls :  but  they  said : 
We  wull  not  walk  therein.  And  I  set  watchmen 
over  you,  saying:  Hearken  to  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet;  but  they  said:  We  will  not  hearken. 


174  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Hebr.  3:7-9:  Wherefore,  even  as  the  Holy 
Spirit  saith:  today  if  ye  shall  hear  his  voice, 
harden  not  your  hearts,  as  in  the  provocation, 
like  as  in  the  day  of  the  trial  in  the  wilderness, 
where  your  fathers  tried  me  by  proving  me, 
and  saw  my  works  forty  years. 

Isaiah  5 :4 :  What  could  have  been  done  more 
to  my  vineyard,  that  I  have  not  done  in  it? 
Wherefore,  when  I  looked  that  it  should  bring 
forth  grapes,  brought  it  forth  wild  grapes? 

11. 

When  a  man  is  converted,  the  glorj^  belongs 
to  God  alone,  for  the  reason  that  He  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  without  any  cooperation  on  the 
part  of  man,  effects  conversion  in  him  who  is 
converted,  or  who  acknowledges  his  sin  and 
believes  in  Christ. 

John  1:12-13.  But  as  many  as  received  him, 
to  them  gave  he  the  right  to  become  children 
of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name ; 
who  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of 
the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God. 

Phil.  2:13:  For  it  is  God  who  worketh  in 
you  both  to  will  and  to  work,  for  his  good 
pleasure. 

1  Cor.  4:7:  For  who  maketh  thee  to  differ? 
And  what  hast  thou  that  thou  didst  not  re- 


COXVEKSIOX    (conclx^ded)  175 

ceive?  But  if  thou  didst  receive  it,  why  dost 
thou  glory  as  if  thou  hadst  not  received  it? 

(Compare  also  Ei)h.  2:1-10  and  Rom.  3:28, 
where  the  apostle  describes  conversion  as  a 
work  of  grace  from  God,  to  God  alone  belong- 
ing the  glory.) 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Justification. 

AMONG  all  the  doctrines  of  our  holy  Chris- 
tian faith,  the  doctrine  of  Justiflcation  by 
Faith  alone,  stands  most  prominent.  Luther 
calls  it:  "The  doctrine  of  a  standing  or  of  a 
falling  church,"  i.  e.,  as  a  church  holds  fast 
and  appropriates  this  doctrine  she  remains 
pure  and  firm,  and  as  she  departs  from  it,  she 
becomes  corrupt  and  falls.  This  doctrine  was 
the  turning  point  of  the  Reformation  in  the 
sixteenth  century.  It  was  the  experience  of 
its  necessity  and  efficacy  that  made  Luther 
what  he  was,  and  equipped  him  for  a  Re- 
former. Naturally,  therefore,  it  occupies  the 
chief  place  in  all  our  Confessions,  and  is  promi- 
nent in  all  the  history  of  our  Churchy 

In  these  chapters  on  the  ''Way  of  Salva- 
tion, ' '  it  has  been  implied  throughout.  There  is 
indeed  no  doctrine  of  salvation  that  is  not  more 
or  less  connected  with  or  dependent  on  this  one. 

Some  time  ago  we  noticed  the  statement  of  a 
certain  bishop  in  a  large  Protestant  Church, 
declaring  that ' '  not  Justification,  but  the  Divin- 
176 


JUSTIFICATION  177 

ity  of  Christ,  is  the  great  fundamental  doctrine 
that  conditions  the  standing  or  falling  of  a 
church."  At  first  sight  this  seems  plausible. 
But  when  we  come  to  reflect,  we  cannot  but  see 
that  the  true  doctrine  concerning  the  Person 
of  Christ  is  not  only  implied,  but  embraced  in 
the  doctrine  of  Justification  by  Faith.  A  man 
might  be  sound  on  the  Divinity  of  Christ,  and 
yet  not  know  aright  the  Way  of  Salvation.  But 
a  man  cannot  be  sound  on  Justification  without 
being  sound,  not  only  on  the  Person  of  Christ, 
but  also  on  His  work  and  the  Way  of  Salvation 
through  Him. 

So  much  has  been  written  and  preached  in 
our  Church  on  this  subject,  that  it  is  not  neces- 
sary for  us  to  enter  upon  a  full  discussion  here. 
We  will  endeavor,  therefore,  merely  in  outline, 
to  call  attention  to  a  few  of  its  most  prominent 
and  practical  features. 

We  inquire  briefly  into  its  meaning  and 
nature.  Justification  is  an  act  of  God,  by  which 
He  accounts  or  adjudges  a  person  righteous  in 
His  sight.  It  is  not  a  change  in  the  person's 
nature,  but  it  is  a  change  in  his  standing  in  the 
sight  of  God.  Before  justification  he  stands  in 
the  sight  of  God,  guilty  and  condemned. 
Through  justification,  he  stands  before  God 
free  from  guilt  and  condemnation;  he  is  ac- 
quitted, released,  regarded  and  treated  as  if 
he  had  never  been  guilty  or  condemned.     The 


178  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

justified  person  stands  in  the  sight  of  God,  as 
if  he  really  had  never  committed  a  sin  and  were 
perfectly  innocent.  Thus  it  is  clear  that  justifi- 
cation treats  of  and  has  regard  to  the  sinner's 
relation  to  God.  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  his 
change  of  nature.  It  is  of  the  utmost  import- 
ance that  this  be  kept  constantly  in  mind.  It 
is  by  applying  justification  to  the  change  in  the 
sinner's  nature  that  so  many  become  confused, 
and  fall  into  grievous  and  dangerous  errors. 

The  original  source,  or  moving  cause  of 
justification,  is  God's  love.  Had  God  not 
"loved  the  ivorW*  there  would  have  been  no 
divine  planning  or  counseling  for  man 's  justifi- 
cation. Truly  it  required  a  divine  mind  to 
originate  a  scheme  by  which  God  ''could  he  just 
and  yet  justify  the  ungodly.'*  All  the  wisdom 
of  the  world  could  never  have  answered  the 
^juestion:  "How  can  mortal  man  he  just  with 
Godf" 

Man  stood,  in  the  sight  of  God  as  a  rebel 
against  His  divine  authority,  a  transgressor  of 
divine  law,  guilty,  condemned  and  wholly  un- 
able to  justify  himself,  or  to  answer  for  one  in 
a  thousand  offences.  God  had  given  His  word 
that,  because  of  guilt,  there  must  be  punish- 
ment and  suffering.  This  word  was  given  be- 
fore sin  was  committed,  and  was  repeated  a 
thousand  times  afterwards.  There  must  then 
be  obedience  to  an  infinite  law,  or  infinite  pun- 


JUSTIFICATION  179 

ishment  for  transgression.  How  could  this  gulf 
be  bridged,  and  man  saved? 

There  was  only  one  way.  "God  so  loved  the 
world  that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son." 
That  Son,  "the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory 
and  the  express  image  of  His  person,"  "in 
whom  dwelt  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily,"  came  into  our  world.  He  came  to  take 
the  sinner's  place — to  be  his  substitute. 
Though  Lord  and  giver  of  the  law,  He  put  Him- 
self under  the  law.  He  fulfilled  it  in  every  jot 
and  tittle.  He  did  no  sin,  neither  was  guile 
found  in  his  mouth.  Thus  He  worked  out  a 
complete  and  perfect  righteousness.  He  did 
not  need  this  righteousness  for  Himself,  for 
He  had  a  righteousness  far  above  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  letter  of  law.  He  wrought  it  out  not 
for  Himself,  but  for  man,  that  He  might  make  it 
over  and  impute  it  to  the  transgressor.  Thus 
then  while  man  had  no  obedience  of  his  own, 
he  could  have  the  obedience  of  another  set  down 
to  his  account,  as  though  it  were  his  own. 

But  this  was  not  enough.  Man  had  sinned 
and  was  still  constantly  sinning,  his  very  nature 
being  a  sinful  one.  As  already  noted,  the  divine 
Word  was  pledged  that  there  must  be  punish- 
ment for  sin.  The  Son,  who  came  to  be  a 
substitute,  said:  Put  me  in  the  sinner's  place; 
let  me  be  the  guilty  one ;  let  the  blows  fall  upon 
me.    And  thus,  He  "who  knew  no  sin  was  made 


180  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

sin  (or  a  sin-offering)  for  us."  He  ''was  made 
a  curse/'  ''bore  our  sins,"  and  "the  iniquity 
of  us  all."  He,  the  God-man,  was  regarded  as 
the  guilty  one,  treated  as  the  guilty  one,  suf- 
fered as  the  guilty  one. 

He  suffered  as  God,  as  well  as  man.  For  the 
Divine  and  human  were  inseparably  united  in 
one  person.  Divinity  by  itself  cannot  suffer 
and  die.  But  thus  mysteriously  connected  with 
the  humanity  it  could  and  really  did  participate 
in  the  suffering  and  dying.  God  suffered 
through  His  human  nature.  And  so  God  really 
suffered. 

As  Luther  sang 

"O  Orosse  noth! 
Gott  selbst  ist  tot!" 

Oh  awful  dread! 
God's  self  is  dead! 

And  who  will  calculate  what  Immanuel  can 
suffer?  What  must  that  suffering  have  been 
when  it  crushed  Him  to  earth,  made  Him  cry 
out  so  plaintively,  and  at  last  took  His  life! 
Our  old  theologians  loved  to  say,  that  what 
the  sufferings  of  Christ  lacked  in  extensiveness 
or  duration,  they  made  up  in  intensiveness. 
Thus  there  was  a  perfect  atonement.  All 
the  punishment  had  been  endured.  A  perfect 
rigl^teousness  had  been  wrought  out,  and  the 
Father  set  His  seal  to  it  in  the  resurrection 


JUSTIFICATION  181 

and  ascension  of  His  dear  Son.  Here,  then, 
was  real  substitution,  and  this  is  the  ground 
for  our  justification. 

"Therefore  His  obedience,  not  only  in  suf- 
fering and  dying,  but  also  that  He  in  our  stead 
was  voluntarily  subject  to  the  Law,  and  ful- 
filled it  by  His  obedience,  is  imputed  to  us  for 
righteousness,  so  that,  on  account  of  this  com- 
j)lete  obedience.  .  .  .  God  forgives  our  sins, 
regards  us  (as)  godly  and  righteous,  and 
eternally  saves  us." 

Form.  cone.  612. 

And  thus  Christ  by  His  life,  sufferings  and 
death  wrought  out  a  negative  righteousness, 
the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  a  positive  righteous- 
ness, the  latter  conferring  standing  and  honor 
in  the  kingdom  of  God. 


To  illustrate.  Two  persons  have  broken  the 
laws  of  their  land,  are  guilty,  condemned,  and 
suffer  the  penalty  in  prison.  To  one  comes  a 
message  of  pardon  from  the  king.  The  prison 
doors  are  opened  and  he  goes  forth  a  free 
man.  The  law  cannot  again  seize  him  and  con- 
demn him  for  the  crimes  of  which  he  is  par- 
doned.   But  as  he  goes  forth  among  his  fellow- 


182  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

men  he  realizes  that  though  released  from  pun- 
ishment, and  negatively  righteous,  he  has  no 
standing,  no  character,  no  positive  righteous- 
ness, unless  he  earn  and  merit  it  for  himself. 


To  the  other  criminal  also  comes  a  message 
of  pardon  from  his  king.  In  addition  to  par- 
don, or  release  from  punishment,  he  is  assured 
that  his  king  has  adopted  him  as  his  son,  will 
take  him  into  his  family  and  endow  him  with 
his  name  and  all  the  privileges  of  his  house. 


Now  this  pardoned  one  has  a  double  right- 
eousness. Negatively,  pardon  and  release  from 
punishment ;  positively,  a  name,  standing,  char- 
acter, honor,  and  the  richest  endowments  of  the 
kingdom. 


Even  thus  has  the  Son  of  God  wrought  out 
for  us  a  two-fold  righteousness. 


And  therefore  the  two-fold  message  of  con- 
solation.   Is.  xl.  1,  2 :    *' Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye 


JUSTIFICATION  183 

my  people,  saith  your  God.  Speak  ye  comfort- 
ably to — (i.  e.,  speak  ye  to  the  heart  of) — Jeru- 
salem, and  cry  unto  her  that  her  warfare  is  ac- 
complished, that  her  iniquity  is  pardoned;  for 
she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's  hand  double  for 
all  her  sins." 

This  justification  has  been  purchased  and 
paid  for.  But  it  is  not  yet  applied.  The  sinner 
has  not  yet  appropriated  it  and  made  it  his  own. 
How  is  this  to  be  done  ?  We  answer :  By  faith. 
Faith  is  the  eye  that  looks  to  Christ.  It  sees 
His  perfect  atonement  and  His  spotless  right- 
eousness. It  is,  at  the  same  time,  the  hand  that 
reaches  out,  lays  hold  of  Christ,  and  clings  to 
Him  as  the  only  help  and  the  only  hope.  This 
faith,  springing  from  a  penitent  heart,  that 
realizes  its  own  unworthiness  and  guiltiness, 
renouncing  all  claim  to  merit  or  self -righteous- 
ness, casts  itself  on  the  divine  Saviour,  trusts 
implicitly  in  Him,  and  rests  there.  This  faith 
justifies.  Not  because  it  is  an  act  that  merits 
or  earns  justification.  No!  In  no  sense. 
Christ  has  earned  it.  Faith  only  lays  hold  of 
and  appropriates  Christ  and  what  He  pur- 
chased and  paid  for. 

There  certainly  can  be  no  merit  in  our  faith, 
because  it  is  itself  a  '^gift  of  God,"  as  the 
Scriptures  declare.  He  that  has  the  faith  is 
justified,  acquitted,  forgiven.    The  appropria- 


184  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

tion  or  application,  is  when  we  believe  with  all 
the  heart  on  the  Son  of  God. 

This  faith  is  not  a  mere  historical  or  intel- 
lectual belief.  It  is  a  living  thing.  Yet  it  is  not 
its  livingness  that  justifies.  The  justifying  ele- 
ment is  that  it  grasps  and  holds  Christ.  Christ 
really  justifies.  Faith  justifies  in  so  far  as  it 
grasps,  holds,  rests  in  and  trust  in  Christ  alone. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  Lutheran  doctrine  of 
^'Justification  by  Faith."  We  have  not  thought 
it  necessary  to  quote  from  the  Augsburg  Con- 
fession or  the  Formula  of  Concord  for  proof. 
Neither  is  it  necessary  or  desirable  tliat  we 
lengthen  out  this  chapter  with  quotations  from 
standard  theologians.  Any  one  desiring  fur- 
ther proof  or  amplification  can  find  abundance 
of  it  in  all  our  Confessions,  and  in  all  recog- 
nized writers  in  the  Church.  Nor  have  we 
taken  up  the  space  with  Scripture  quotations. 
To  quote  all  that  the  Bible  says  on  the  subject 
would  be  to  transcribe  a  large  proportion  of 
its  passages.  It  would  necessitate  especially  a 
writing  out  of  a  large  part  of  the  writings  of 
Paul,  who  makes  it  the  great  theme  of  several 
of  his  epistles.  Every  devout  reader  of  Paul's 
letters  will  find  this  great  doctrine  shining  forth 
in  almost  every  chapter,  so  much  so  that  the 
Romish  Bishop  who  was  driven  by  Luther  to  a 
study  of  the  New  Testament  threw  down  his 


JUSTIFICATION  185 

book  and  said:    ''Paul  also  has  become  a  Lit- 

theran!'' 

In  conclusion,  we  desire  to  impress  one 
thought.  The  doctrine  of  Justification  is  so 
highly  prized  by  the  believer,  not  so  much  be- 
cause of  the  grand  and  matchless  scheme  it 
brings  to  light,  as  because  of  the  peace  and  com- 
fort it  has  brought  into  his  heart.  He  who 
truly  embraces  this  doctrine,  realizes  its  efificacy 
and  power.  It  is  precious  to  him,  above  all 
things,  as  a  matter  of  personal  experience. 
This  experience  is  not  the  doctrine,  but  the 
result  of  receiving  the  doctrine.  He  has  real- 
ized the  blessedness  of  having  his  own  sins 
forgiven,  his  transgressions  covered.  Being 
justified  hy  faith,  he  has  peace  with  God 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

This  blessed  experience  was  the  root  and 
spring  of  Luther's  courage  and  strength. 
Luther's  inner  experience  fitted  him  to  become 
the  Reformer.  Without  it  all  his  other  gifts 
and  qualifications  would  not  have  availed.  Let 
Sunday  School  teachers,  church-workers  and 
ministers  examine  themselves.  Without  this 
heart-experience,  all  theorizing  about  the 
doctrine  is  vain.  Such  a  scriptural  experience 
never  develops  a  Pharisee.  It  never  runs 
into  self-exhaltation.  It  constantly  exalts 
and  magnifies  Christ.  It  habitually  humbles 
self.    It  lays  self  low  at  the  foot  of  the  cross, 


186  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

and  it  remains  there.  Not  that  it  is  a  gloomy 
or  despondent  spirit.  For  while  it  constantly 
mourns  over  the  imperfections  and  sins  of  self, 
it,  at  the  same  time,  constantly  rejoices  in  the 
full  and  perfect  salvation  of  Christ.  While  it 
never  ceases  in  this  life  to  shed  the  tears  of 
penitence,  it  also  never  ceases  to  sing  the  joyful 
song  of  deliverance.  It  develops  a  Christian 
after  the  type  of  a  Paul,  a  Luther,  a  Gerhard 
and  a  Francke.  Blessed  is  he  who  understands 
and  experiences  justification  by  faith.  Doubly 
sad  the  state  of  him  who  has  the  doctrine,  with- 
out its  experience  and  peace  and  glory. 

"Jesus,  Thy  Blood  and  Righteousness 
My  beauty  are,  my  glorious  dress; 
Midst  flaming  worlds,  in  these  arrayed. 
With  joy  shall  I  lift  up  my  head. 

"Bold  shall  I  stand  In  that  great  day, 
For  who  aught  to  my  charge  shall  lay? 
Fully  through  these  absolved  I  am 
From  sin  and  fear,  from  guilt  and  shame. 

"This  spotless  robe  the  same  appears. 
When  ruined  nature  sinks  in  years: 
No  age  can  change  its  constant  hue; 
Thy  Blood  preserves  it  ever  new. 

"Oh  let  the  dead  now  hear  Thy  voice;     . 
Now  bid  Thy  banished  ones  rejoice! 
Their  beauty  this,  their  glorious  dress, 
Jesus,  Thy  Blood  and  Righteousness." 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 

Sanctiticatioit. 

IN  the  last  chapter  we  showed  that  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  deals  with  the  sinner's 
change  of  relation,-  or  change  of  state. 


We  also  learned  that  faith  is  the  instru- 
mental or  applying  cause  of  justification.  In 
another  place  we  showed  that  true  faith  pre- 
supposes penitence,  and  this  again  presupposes 
a  sense  and  knowledge  of  sin.  Again  we 
showed  that  penitence  and  faith  are  the  two 
essential  elements  of  conversion;  that  where 
these  elements  are  found  there  is  a  change  of 
heart,  and  the  beginning  of  a  new  life. 


This  newness  is  of  a  germinal  or  seed  char- 
acter. Now  it  belongs  to  the  very  nature  of  life 
to  develop,  to  increase,  and  to  make  progress. 
And  it  is  this  development  or  growth  of  the 
new  life  that  we  wish  now  to  consider.  It  is 
187 


188  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

called  sanctification,  or  the  growth  of  the  soul 
into  the  image  of  a  holy  God. 

It  is  closely  related  to  justification,  and  yet 
clearly  distinct  from  it.  In  justification,  God 
imputes  or  counts  over  to  the  sinner  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ.  In  sanctification,  God 
imparts  the  righteousness  of  the  new  life. 
Justification  is  what  God  does  for  the  believer ; 
sanctification  is  what  His  Spirit  does  in  him. 
Justification  being  purely  an  act  of  God,  is  in- 
stantaneous and  complete;  sanctification  being 
a  work  in  which  man  has  a  share,  is  progres- 
sive. Justification  takes  away  the  guilt  of  sin; 
sanctification  gradually  takes  away  its  power. 
Sanctification  begins  with  justification.  So 
soon  as  the  sinner  believes  he  is  justified;  but 
just  so  soon  as  he  believes,  he  also  has  the 
beginnings  of  a  new  life. 

In  time,  therefore,  the  two  come  together; 
but  in  thought  they  are  distinct.  And  it  is  of 
the  greatest  importance  that  these  distinctions 
be  understood  and  kept  in  mind.  It  is  by  con- 
founding justification  with  sanctification,  and 
vice  versa,  that  all  the  flagrant,  soul-endanger- 
ing errors  concerning  the  so-called  ''higher 
life,"  ''sinless  perfection,"  and  "holiness,"  are 
promulgated  and  believed.  It  is  by  quoting 
Scripture  passages  that  speak  of  justification 
and  applying  them  to  sanctification,  that  this 
delusion  is  strengthened.    How  often  have  we 


SANCTIFICATION  189 

not  heard  that  precious  passage,  1  John  i.  7, 
''The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth 
us  from  all  sin,"  quoted  to  prove  entire  sancti- 
fication.  Now,  if  we  understand  the  Scriptures 
at  all,  that  passage  speaks  of  the  forgiveness  of 
sin  through  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  blood,  and 
not  of  overcoming  sin  in  the  believer,  or  eradi- 
cating its  very  fibres  and  impulses. 

Let  us  understand  clearly  what  we  mean  by 
sanctification.  The  English  word  comes  from 
a  Latin  word  that  means  sacred,  consecrated, 
devoted  to  holy  purposes.  The  Greek  word 
translated  sanctify  in  our  English  Bible  also 
means  to  separate  from  common  and  set  apart 
for  holy  purposes.  The  same  word  that  is 
translated  sanctify,  is  in  many  places  trans- 
lated consecrate,  or  make  holy.  The  English 
word  saint  comes  from  the  same  Latin  root, 
and  is  translated  from  the  same  Greek  root,  as 
sanctify.  A  saint  means  a  sanctified  one,  or 
one  who  is  being  sanctified.  Thus  we  find  be- 
lievers called  saints  or  sanctified  ones.  "We 
find,  indeed,  that  the  apostles  call  all  the  mem- 
bers of  their  churches  saints.  Thus  they  speak 
of  "the  saints  which  are  at  Jerusalem,"  "The 
saints  which  are  at  Achaia,"  ''To  all  that  he 
in  Rome  .  .  .  called  to  he  saints,"  "As  in 
all  the  churches  of  the  saints."  So  in  many 
other  passages. 

In  harmony  with  the  apostolic  usage,  we  con- 


190  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

fess  in  the  Apostles'  Creed:  ''I  believe  in  tlie 
Holy  Christian  Church  (which  is)  the  com- 
munion— or  community — of  saints."  If  then 
saints  means  sanctified  ones,  or  holy  persons, 
do  not  the  Bible  and  the  Apostles'  Creed  de- 
mand perfect  sinlessness?  By  no  means. 
Christians  are  indeed  to  strive  to  constantly 
become  more  and  more  free  from  sin.  They 
are  ''called  to  he  saints,"  are  constantly  being 
sanctified  or  made  holy.  But  their  sanctity  or 
holiness  is  only  relative. 

They  have  indeed  "come  out  from  the 
world,"  to  ''he  separate."  They  are  "a  pecu- 
liar people."  They  hate  sin,  repent  of  it,  flee 
from  it,  strive  against  it,  and  overcome  it  more 
and  more.  They  "mortify  the  deeds  of  the 
hody,"  "keep  it  under,"  "crucify  the  flesh 
with  its  affections  and  lusts,"  "present — (or 
consecrate) — their  hodies,  as  living  sacrifices 
to  God."  They  have  pledged  themselves  at 
Christ's  altar  to  ''renounce  the  devil  and  all 
his  works  and  ways,  the  vanities  of  the  world 
and  the  sinful  desires  of  the  flesh,  and  to  live 
up  to  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  Christ." 

In  so  far,  they  are  separated  from  the  worlcf, 
set  apart  to  become  holy,  consecrated  to  Christ. 
Not  that  their  sanctification  or  saintship  is 
complete.  If  that  were  the  case,  the  apostles 
would  not  have  written  epistles  to  the  saints. 
For  perfect  beings  need  no  Bibles,  no  Churches, 


SANCTIFICATION  191 

no  means  of  Grace.  The  angels  need  none  of 
these  things.  There  is  indeed  not  one  sinless 
person  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  except  that 
divine  One,  ''who  did  no  sin,  neither  was  guile 
found  in  His  mouth/* 

If  there  were  one  Scripture  character  who, 
if  such  a  thing  were  possible,  would  have  at- 
tained to  sinless  perfection,  that  one  would  cer- 
tainly have  been  the  greatest  of  all  the  apostles. 
He  labored  more  than  they  all;  he  suffered 
more  than  they  all;  he  went  deeper  into  the 
mysteries  of  redemption  than  they  all.  He 
was  not  only  permitted  to  look  into  heaven,  as 
the  beloved  John,  but  he  ''was  caught  up  into 
the  third  heaven,  and  heard  ivords  that  it  ivas 
not  lawful  for  him  to  utter''  on  this  sinful 
earth.  Oh,  what  purifying  through  suffering! 
AVhat  visions  and  revelations!  What  experi- 
ence of  Grace !  And  yet  this  burnished  vessel 
never  professed  sinless  perfection.  Indeed,  he 
never  ceased  to  mourn  and  lament  the  sinful- 
ness and  imperfection  of  his  own  heart,  and 
called  himself  the  chief  of  sinners.  He  does 
indeed  speak  of  perfection.  Hear  what  he  savs, 
Phil.  iii.  12,  13,  14:  "Not  as  though  I  had  'al- 
ready attained,  either  luere  already  perfect; 
hut  I  follow  after,  if  that  I  may  apprehend  that 
for  which  also  I  am  apprehended  of  Christ 
Jesus.  Brethren,  I  count  not  myself  to  have 
apprehended;  but  this  one  thing  I  do,  forget- 


192  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

ting  those  things  that  are  behind,  and  reaching 
forward  unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I 
press  toward  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 

The  saints  on  earth,  then,  are  not  sinless 
ones.  The  Bible  does  indeed  speak  of  those 
born  of  God  sinning  not,  not  committing  sin. 
But  this  can  only  mean  that  they  do  not  wilfully 
sin.  They  do  not  intentionally  live  in  habits 
of  sin.  Their  sins  are  sins  of  weakness  and  not 
sins  of  malice.  They  repent  of  them,  mourn 
over  them,  and  strive  against  them.  They 
constantly  pray,  "Forgive  us  our  trespasses 
as  ive  forgive  them  that  trespass  against  us." 
Their  heart-purity  and  sanctification  are  only 
relative. 

Sanctification  is  gradual  and  progressive. 
We  have  seen  that  Paul  thus  expressed  him- 
self. He  was  constantly  "folloiving  after," 
"reaching  forth,"  "pressing  toivard"  the 
mark.  He  exhorts  the  Corinthians,  2  Cor.  vii. 
1,  to  be  "perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord,"  and  again,  2  Cor.  iii.  18,  to  be  "changed 
into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory."  He 
tells  them  in  chapter  iv.  16  that  "the  inward 
man  is  renewed  day  by  day."  He  exhorts  the 
saints  or  believers,  again  and  again,  "to 
grow,"  "to  increase,"  "to  abound  yet  more 
and  more." 

Growth  is  the  law  of  the  kingdom  of  nature. 


SANCTIFICATION  193 

And  the  same  God  operates  in  the  kingdom  of 
Grace,  and,  indeed,  much  after  the  same  order. 
Our  Saviour,  therefore,  so  often  compares  the 
kingdom  of  God,  or  the  kingdom  of  Grace,  to 
growth  from  a  seed,  where  it  is  "first  the  blade, 
then  the  ear,  and  then  the  full  corn  in  the  ear,'* 
Mark  iv.  26-29.  In  harmony  with  all  this  Paul 
calls  those  who  have  but  lately  become  be- 
lievers, ''babes  in  Christ."  He  tells  them  they 
must  be  ''fed  with  milk  as  babes/'  etc.  There- 
fore, it  is  quite  natural  that  we  find  so  many 
exhortations  to  grow  in  Grace  and  in  knowl- 
edge. 

How  directly  contrary  to  all  this  is  the  un- 
scriptural  idea,  not  only  of  entire  sanctifica- 
tion,  but  of  instantaneous  sanctification. 
Surely,  in  this  fast  age,  many  have  run  far 
ahead  of  prophets,  apostles,  martyrs,  re- 
formers and  the  most  eminent  saints  of  all 
ages.  As  we  read  the  lives  and  words  of  these 
heroes  of  faith,  we  find  that  the  more  Christ- 
like and  consecrated  they  were,  the  more  did 
they  deplore  their  slow  progress  and  their  re- 
maining sin. 

While,  therefore,  we  have  no  Scripture  war- 
rant to  expect  sinlessness  here ;  while  we  must 
"die  daily,"  "mortify  our  members,"  and 
"fight  the  good  fight  of  faith,"  between  the  old 
Adam,  whose  remnants  cleave  to  us,  and  the 
new  man  in  Christ  Jesus,  we  can  still  do  much 


194  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

to  promote  our  sanctification,  and  make  it 
more  and  more  complete.  We  can  use  the 
powers  that  God  has  given  ns  to  carry  on  the 
warfare  with  sin.  We  can  increase  these 
powers,  or  rather  permit  divine  Grace  to  in- 
crease them,  by  a  diligent  use  of  the  means  of 
Grace.  In  the  chapter  on  the  Word  of  God  as 
a  means  of  Grace,  we  showed  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  sanctifies  through  the  Word.  In  the 
chapters  on  baptism  and  the  baptismal  cove- 
nant, we  showed  how  that  holy  sacrament  is  a 
means  of  Grace,  whose  efficacy  is  not  confined 
to  the  time  of  its  administration,  but  that  it  is 
intended  to  be  a  perennial  fountain  of  Grace, 
from  which  we  can  drink  and  be  refreshed  while 
life  lasts.  That  for  our  daily  life  it  means  ''that 
the  old  Adam  in  us  is  to  be  drowned  and  des- 
troyed by  daily  sorrow  and  repentance  together 
with  all  sins  and  evil  lusts  and  that  the  new 
man  should  daily  come  forth  and  rise  and  shall 
live  in  the  presence  of  God  in  righteousness  and 
purity  forever."  In  the  chapters  on  the  Lord's 
Supper,  we  learned  that  it  also  was  ordained 
and  instituted  to  sustain  and  strengthen  our 
spiritual  life. 

We  have,  therefore,  all  the  means  necessary 
for  our  sanctification.  De  we  prayerfully  use 
them?  Might  we  not  be  much  further  on  in 
the  work  of  holiness  than  we  are?  Do  we 
use  the  truth  as  we  should,  that  we  may  be 


SANCTIFICATION  195 

"sanctified  through  the  truth?"  Do  we  ''de- 
sire the  sincere  milk  of  the  Word,  that  we  may 
groiv  thereby?"  Does  it  ''dwell  richly  among 
us?"  Know  we  not,  or  have  we  forgotten  it, 
that  "as  many  of  lis  as  have  been  baptized 
into  Christ,  were  baptized  into  His  death?" 
Do  we  say,  with  those  early  Christians, 
"henceforth  let  no  man  trouble  me,  for  I  bear 
in  my  body  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus?" 
And  when  we  go  to  our  Lord's  Table  do  we 
realize  that  His  "flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and 
His  blood  is  drink  indeed?"  Do  we  go  in  the 
strength  of  that  heavenly  nourishment  many 
days?  Might  we  not,  by  making  a  more  sin- 
cere, hearty  and  diligent  use  of  all  these 
means  of  Grace,  live  nearer  to  Christ,  lean 
more  confidingly  on  Him  and  do  more  effec- 
tually all  things  through  Him  who  strengthen- 
eth  us?* 

Yes,  doubtless,  we  must  all  confess  that  it 
is  our  own  fault  that  we  are  not  sanctified 
more  fully  than  we  are ;  that  if,  in  the  strength 
derived  from  a  proper  use  of  the  means  of 
Grace,  we  would  watch  more  over  self,  pray 
more,   meditate    more    on    divine    things    and 

*  It  ought  to  go  without  saying  that  a  sanctified  life 
must  be  a  life  of  service.  Every  believer  is  sanctified  that 
he  may  serve,  even  as  he  has  been  redeemed  that  he  might 
serve.  Read  carefully  on  this  whole  subject  of  sanctified 
service  Problems  and  Possibilities,  Chapter  vi. 


196  THE  -WAY  OF  SALVATION 

thus  surround  ourselves  more  with  a  spiritual 
atmosphere,  we  should  be  more  spiritual. 
*'This  is  the  will  of  God,  even  your  sanctifica- 
tion.'*  "Without  holiness,  no  mem  shall  see 
the  Lord." 

"And  what  am  I?    My  soul,  awake. 
And  an  impartial  survey  take. 
Does  no  dark  sign,  no  ground  of  fear 
In  practice  or  in  heart  appear? 

"What  image  does  my  spirit  bear? 
Is  Jesus  formed  and  living  there? 
Ah,  do  His  lineaments  divine 
In   thought  and   word   and  action   shine? 

"Searcher  of  hearts,  O  search  me  stilL 
The  secrets  of  my  soul  reveal; 
My  fears  remove;   let  me  appear 
To  God  and  my  own  conscience  clear." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Revivals 

The  word  revive  means  to  bring  back  life. 
Life  had  been  present:  it  had  failed  and  was 
restored.  Strictly  speaking,  only  a  person  who 
has  once  had  the  new  life  in  him,  but  lost  it  for 
a  while  and  regained  it,  can  be  said  to  have 
been  revived.  Only  a  church  or  a  community 
that  was  once  spiritually  alive,  but  had  grown 
languid  and  lifeless,  can  be  said  to  be  revived. 

Therefore  we  maintain  that  it  ought  to  be 
the  aim  and  policy  of  the  Church  to  preclude 
the  necessity  of  revivals,  po])ularly  so  called. 
Prevention  is  better  than  cure.  We  firmly  ])e- 
lieve  that  those  who  were  early  consecrated  in 
Baptism  and  then  trained,  taught,  and  nur- 
tured in  faith  and  in  love,  may  keep  the  bap- 
tismal covenant,  and  that  they  make  the  health- 
iest, the  strongest,  and  most  reliable  members 
and  workers  in  the  Church. 

And  if  this  is  possible  for  any  member,  why 
not  for  a  whole  congregation?  For  Bible  proof 
look  at  the  congregation  at  Smvrna  and  that  at 
197 


198  THE   WAV    OF   SALVATION 

Pliiladelpliiu.  See  Rev.  2  and  3.  We  believe  that 
wlierc  there  is  a  sound,  faithful,  and  earnest 
pastor,  and  an  earnest,  united  and  active  nieni- 
l)ership,  many  will  grow  up  in  their  baptismal 
co\'enant ;  and  among  those  who  wander  more 
or  less  therefrom,  there  will  be  frequent  con- 
\  ersions  under  the  faithful  use  of  the  ordinary 
services  and  ordinances  of  the  Church.  Ex- 
amples we  find  in  the  pastorates  of  Richard 
Raxter,  Ludvig  Harms,  Oberlin  {at  Stein- 
thal  )and  Dr.  Greenwald  (at  Eaton  and  Lan- 
caster ) . 

Rut  alas !  })arents,  teachers,  and  pastors  too 
often  come  short  of  their  duty.  Therefore  we 
admit  that  times  of  refreshing  are  often  need- 
ed, and  then  why  not  have  them  after  the  man- 
ner of  those  around  us?  Why  not  adopt  the 
modern  system?  We  will  briefly  state  our  ob- 
jections to  this  system: 

We  object  to  the  modern  revival  system,  be- 
cause it  rests  on  an  entire  misconception  of  the 
coming  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  idea 
seems  to  be  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  effec- 
tively present  in  the  regular  and  ordinary  ser- 
A'ices  of  the  sanctuary,  that  since  the  day  of 
Pentecost  He  has  come  and  worked  with  ])()wer 
during  every  revival  and  then  departed  to  be 
absent  until  the  next. 

This  is  directly  contrary  to  the  teaching  of 


REVIVALS  199 

the  Divine  Word.  When  Jesus  was  about  to 
leave  His  disciples,  He  said,  John  xiv:lG:  "I 
will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  will  give  you 
another  Comforter,  that  He  may  abide  with 
you  forever,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth." 

From  these  words,  and  others  spoken  by  our 
Saviour,  two  things  are  plain:  That  the  Com- 
forter came  as  the  visible  CJirisfs  substitute, 
and  that  He  came  to  abide. 

The  system  also  undervalues  the  divinely- 
ordained  means  of  grace.  Little  if  any  renew- 
ing grace  is  expected  from  the  sacrament  of 
Christian  baptism.  Few  if  any  conversions  are 
expected  from  the  regular  and  ordinary 
preaching  of  the  Word.  Little  if  any  spiritual 
nourishment  is  expected  from  the  sacrament 
of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Because  the  regular  Church  ordinances  are 
thus  undervalued,  they  are  largely  fruitless. 
Few  conversions  are  expected  during  the  ten 
or  eleven  months  of  regular  church  services.  It 
naturally  follows  that  the  imconverted  will 
shake  off  all  serious  thoughts  under  the  reg- 
ular church  services,  under  the  plea  that  they 
will  give  this  matter  attention  when  the  next 
revival  comes  around.  And  even  the  work  of 
sanctification  for  the  saints  is  largely  crowded 
into  the  few  weeks  of  revival. 

It  is  doubtless  for  this  reason  that  we  find 


200  THE   WAY    OF   SAIAATIOX 

SO  much  levity  and  irreverence  in  many  so- 
called  revival  churches.  Because  the  Holy  Spir- 
it is  not  sujiposed  to  be  effectively  present  in 
the  Word  and  Sacraments,  there  is  nothing  in- 
spiring and  uplifting  in  these  things.  A  care- 
ful observer  can  not  fail  to  notice  that  in 
churches  wliich  believe  in  grace  through  the 
means  of  grace,  there  is  an  atmosphere  of 
deeper  solemnity  and  more  earnest  devotion 
than  in  such  revival  churches. 

Another  objection  to  the  modern  revival 
system  is  the  utter  indifference  to  doctrine  that 
generally  goes  hand  in  hand  with  its  methods 
and  practices.  To  "contend  earnestli/  for  the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints"  seems  to  be 
altogether  out  of  place  at  a  modern  revival. 
The  popular  sentiment  is:  it  makes  no  differ- 
ence wliat  a  person  believes,  or  to  what  church 
he  belongs,  or  indeed,  whether  he  belongs  to 
anj%  if  only  he  is  converted,  if  only  his  heart  is 
right ! 

Hence  we  find  but  small  provision,  if  any, 
for  doctrinal  instruction  in  the  revival  system. 
Those  who  are  expected  to  be  gathered  in  and 
brought  to  Christ,  are  left  in  ignorance  of  the 
great  doctrines  of  sin  and  salvation.  They  have 
the  most  imperfect  conception  of  God's  Wa^^ 
of  Salvation.  And  yet  they  are  expected  to 
enter  upon  that  way  and  walk  in  it! 


REVIVALS  201 

The  first  and  great  object  of  the  revivahst 
seems  to  be  to  work  directly  on  the  emotional 
nature  of  his  hearers.  And  when  the  feelings 
are  aroused,  when  the  excitement  is  up,  the 
hearers  are  urged  to  come  forward,  stand  up, 
to  follow  the  saw-dust  trail,  etc. 

Now  there  is  no  true  religion  without  feel- 
ing, no  true  piety  without  heartfelt  sorrow  for 
sin,  longings  for  union  and  fellowship  with 
God,  together  with  a  childlike  trust  and  love 
to  Him.  But  when  Paul  was  sent  to  convert  the 
Gentiles,  he  was  directed  first  of  all  "to  open 
their  eyes,"  that  is;  to  instruct  them,  and  then 
to  ''turn  them  from  darkness  to  light."  The 
revivalist,  however,  makes  a  short  cut  and  goes 
at  once  to  the  feehngs,  contrary  to  the  Scrip- 
tures and  to  the  laws  of  the  mind. 

Therefore  the  revivalist  not  only  permits, 
but  encourages  the  ignorant  and  inexperienced 
to  assist  in  exhorting  and  helping  such  as  are 
inquiring  after  life  and  salvation.  But,  "can 
the  blind  lead  the  blind?  Will  they  not  both 
fall  in  the  ditch?"  Better  let  these  novices  sit 
at  the  feet  of  Christ! 

We  may  also  mention  the  proselyting  spirit 
that  so  often  accompanies  this  system.  How 
with  all  its  protestations  of  charity,  brotherly 
love,  and  union,  it  often  runs  out  into  the 
meanest  spirit  of  casting  aspersions  on  others 


202  THE  WAY    OF   SALVATION 

and  stealing  from  their  churches.  We  niiglit 
speak  of  the  divided  churches  that  often  result. 
As  Dr.  Krauth  once  forcible  said:  "They  are 
united  to  pieces,  and  revived  to  death."  No 
wonder,  that  in  sections  of  our  country  where 
this  system  has  held  sway,  worldliness  and 
skepticism  abound.  These  places  have  been 
aptly  called  "burnt  districts."  It  seems  next 
to  impossible  to  make  lasting  impressions  for 
good  on  such  communities. 

True  Revivals 

The  Church  ought  constantly  to  aim  at  keep- 
ing up  such  a  state  of  spiritual  life  as  to  render 
revivals  unnecessary.  But  owing  to  human  in- 
Hrmity,  carelessness,  and  neglect  of  a  pro]jer 
and  prayerful  use  of  the  means  of  grace,  the 
spiritual  life  will  ofttimes  languish  in  individ- 
uals, in  families,  in  congregations,  and  com- 
munities. At  such  times  a  spiritual  awakening 
or  refreshing  is  necessary.  What  then  is  to  be 
done  when  a  revival  is  needed? 

First  let  there  be  a  revival  in  the  individual 
Christian  heart.  Any  Christian  who  sees  the 
need  of  a  revival,  must  see  the  need  first  of  all 
for  himself.  Then  let  there  be  an  earnest  and 
prayerful  return  to  the  neglected  Word.  Let 
there  be  a  devout  reading  and  meditation  of 
the  Law  of  God,  an  earnest,  persevering 


REVIVALS  203 

searcliing  of  heart  and  life  in  the  hght  of  that 
law.  Let  there  he  a  study  of  the  Gospel,  a 
prayerful  reading  of  such  sections  of  the  Word 
of  God  as  Psalms  32  and  51,  Is.  53,  Rom.  3-8, 
Luke  15,  and  the  epistles  of  John.  This  will 
hring  ahout  a  deeper  sorrow  for  sin  and  a 
stronger  faith  in  Christ.  Let  there  be  a  daily 
dying  unto  sin,  a  daily  living  unto  righteous- 
ness, a  daily  ])utting  off  of  the  old  man,  a  daily 
j)utting  on  of  the  new  man. 

For  the  reviving  in  the  whole  congregation, 
let  the  preaching  of  the  Word  be  plain  and 
direct,  full  of  "repentance  toward  God  and 
faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Let  the 
})reaching  of  the  Word  be  supported  by  the 
earnest  prayers  of  the  believers,  and  there  will 
be  a  constant  and  scri])tural  revival. 

The  Church  also  has  its  regular  communion 
services.  These,  if  rightly  improved  by  pas- 
tor and  people,  can  be  made  still  richer  seasons 
of  grace.  In  our  Lutheran  Church  special  com- 
munion services  are  generally  held  in  connec- 
tion with  our  great  Church  Festivals.  Church 
historians  inform  us  that  during  the  age  im- 
mediately succeeding  the  time  of  the  Apostles, 
these  festivals  were  real  highdays.  The  Word 
was  preached  with  more  than  ordinary  power, 
and  the  Sacraments  dispensed  with  unusual 
solemnity.  At  such  times,  even  the  worldly  and 


204  THE  ^^'Av  of  sai.vatiox 

careless  felt  a  strong  impulse  to  follow  the 
happy  Christian  crowd  to  the  House  of  God, 
multitudes  of  sinners  were  converted  and 
gathered  into  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  while 
saints  were  strengthened  and  built  up  in  their 
holy  faith. 

An  evangelistic  agency  that  our  Church 
should  use  everywhere  is  the  adult  Bible  class. 
It  is  an  agency  for  wooing  the  sinner  with  the 
Word,  and  for  teaching  the  way  of  God  more 
clearly.  Such  classes  ought  to  be  frank  and  free 
conferences,  where  everyone  may  unload  his 
questions,  objections,  and  doubts;  where  every- 
one may  ask  for  more  information  and  light. 
For  the  unconfirmed  adults,  we  should  have 
catechetical  classes  much  after  the  same  model 
as  the  Bible  classes. 

There  are  times  when  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
manifests  Himself  more  fully  in  the  church 
than  at  other  times.  In  His  own  wise  provi- 
dence God  brings  about  and  prepares  for  such 
"times  of  visitation."  Thus,  when,  from  causes 
noted  above,  the  Church  grows  cold  and  lan- 
guid, He  sends  afflictions  of  various  kinds. 
People  are  made  to  realize  the  uncertainty  and 
unsatisfactoriness  of  the  affairs  of  this  life.  God 
brings  them  to  reflection.  They  are  willing  to 
hear  the  long  neglected  Word.  The  Word 
finds  free  course,  and  it  does  not  return  void. 


REVIVALS  205 

If  now  pastors  and  people  know  this  ''time 
of  visitation,"  they  will  respond  to  these  in- 
dications. Provision  ought  to  be  made  to  gather 
the  quickly  ripening  harvest.  Special  services 
may  be  held  with  a  series  of  special  sermons. 
The  preaching  must  be  a  plain  and  direct  set- 
ting forth  of  the  Way  of  Salvation.  The  great 
themes  of  sin  and  grace,  and  the  application 
and  reception  of  grace  should  be  set  forth  with 
all  possible  simplicity  and  earnestness.  Besides 
the  preaching  there  should  also  be  made  provi- 
sion for  personal  xvork. 

Such  seasons  result  in  a  growth  of  true 
Church  life.  The  means  of  grace  are  more  dil- 
igently and  more  prayerfully  used.  The  Word 
of  God  and  prayer  take  their  proper  place  in 
the  home.  There  is  increased  liberality  in  the 
congregation.  There  is  a  revival  of  strict  hon- 
esty and  truthfulness  in  business  affairs. 
Worldly  companionship,  questionable  amuse- 
ments, pleasures  tjiat  draw  the  heart  away 
from  God,  are  avoided.  Religion  is  not  only  a 
Sunday  garment,  but  a  living  force  that  shows 
itself  in  every  department  of  life.  The  world 
takes  knowledge  of  true  converts,  that  they 
have  been  with  Jesus  and  learned  of  Him. 
Such  are  the  results  of  a  true  revival.  In  such 
we  believe. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Conclusion. 

WITH  this  chapter  we  conclude  our  studies 
of  the  Way -of  Salvation.  They  have  been 
extended  much  beyond  our  original  purpose.  As 
we  remarked  in  the  beginning,  we  have  written 
for  plain  people ;  for  those  who,  surrounded  by 
all  forms  and  varieties  of  belief,  unbelief,  and 
misbelief,  are  often  attacked,  questioned  and 
perplexed  as  to  their  faith,  and  their  reasons 
for  holding  it.  Our  object  has  been  to  assist 
our  unpretentious  people  always  to  he  ready  to 
give  an  answer  to  those  who  ask  a  reason  for 
the  hope  that  is  in  them. 

We  also  remarked  in  the  beginning  that  there 
often  come  to  our  people  arrogant  and  self- 
righteous  persons,  who  say  "the  Lutheran 
Church  has  no  religion,"  that  it  ''does  not 
bring  its  members  into  the  light, ' '  and  does  not 
"believe  in  or  insist  on  personal  salvation." 

Unfortunately  there  are  only  too  many  Lu- 
therans who  do  not  know  how  to  answer  such 
bold  and  baseless  assertions.  Sometimes  they 
apologize  for  being  Lutherans,  and  timidly  hope 
207 


208  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

that  they  still  may  find  salvation  even  in  their 
own  Church  I  Many  also  have  been  persuaded 
to  abandon  the  Church  and  faith  of  their 
fathers  to  find  more  light  and  religion  else- 
where. After  having  been  wrought  upon  and 
strangely  affected  by  human  and  unscriptural 
methods,  after  they  have  experienced  some  new 
sensations,  they  proclaim  to  the  world  that  now 
they  have  found  the  light  which  they  could 
never  find  in  the  Lutheran  Church  1  And  thus 
not  a  few  of  our  simple-minded  and  unreflect- 
ing people  are  led  to  depart  from  the  faith  and 
follow  strange  delusions. 

Our  people  need  to  be  better  informed  about 
their  own  Church.  When  they  come  to  under- 
stand what  that  Church  is,  and  what  she 
teaches,  they  will  be  ''no  more  children,  tossed 
to  and  fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind 
of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight  of  men  and  cunning 
craftiness  whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive." 

It  is  to  assist  them  to  such  an  understanding 
and  appreciation  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
and  is  confessed  by  our  Church,  that  we  have 
written  these  pages.  If  they  have  strengthened 
any  who  are  weak  in  the  faith,  removed  any 
doubts  and  perplexities,  established  any  who 
wavered  and  made  anyone  love  the  Church  and 
her  great  Head  more,  we  are  more  than  repaid. 

Whatever  may  have  be6n  the  effect  of  read- 
ing these  chapters,  the  writing  of  them  has  made 


CONCLUSION  209 

the  Church  of  the  Reformation,  her  faith  and 
practices,  more  precious  than  ever  to  the 
writer.  He  has  become  more  and  more  con- 
vinced that  what  Eome  stigmatized  as  "Lu- 
theranism"  is  nothing  else  than  the  pure  and 
simple  Gospel  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ. 

Let  us  take  a  rapid  backward  glance.  We 
see  that  the  Lutheran  Church  grasps  fully  and 
accepts  unreservedly  the  whole  sad  and  unwel- 
come doctrine  of  sin.  She  believes  all  that  is 
written  as  to  the  deep-going  and  far-reaching 
consequences  of  sin — that  every  soul  comes  into 
this  world  infected  with  this  fearful  malady, 
and,  therefore,  unfit  for  the  kingdom  of  God, 
and  under  condemnation.  She  believes  there- 
fore that  every  human  being,  down  to  the  young- 
est infant,  must  have  its  nature  changed  when 
it  is  saved.  The  necessity  of  this  change  is  ab- 
solute and  without  exception. 

In  the  very  beginning,  therefore,  we  see  that 
no  Church  places  the  necessity  of  personal  re- 
newal and  salvation  on  higher  ground  than  does 
the  Lutheran  Church.  She  believes  that  our 
blessed  Saviour  has  appointed  a  means,  a  chan- 
nel, a  vehicle,  by  and  through  which  His  Holy 
Spirit  conveys  renewing  Grace  to  the  heart  of 
the  tender  infant,  and  makes  it  a  lamb  of  His 
flock.  She  believes  that  where  Christ's  Sacra- 
ment of  holy  Baptism — which  is  the  means  re- 


210  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

ferred  to — does  not  reach  a  child,  His  Spirit 
can  and  will  reach  and  renew  it  in  some  way 
not  made  known  to  ns. 

She  believes  that  the  beginning  of  the  new 
life  in  a  child  is  a  spiritual  hirth;  that  this 
young  and  feeble  life  needs  nourishment  and 
fostering  care  for  its  healthy  development ;  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  Christian  parents  to  see  to  this ; 
that  the  Sunday-school  and  catechetical  class 
are  helps  offered  to  the  parents  by  the  Church; 
She  believes  that  by  this  nourishing  of  the  di- 
vine life  in  the  family  and  in  the  Church,  ''with 
the  sincere  milk  of  God's  Word,"  the  baptismal 
covenant  can  be  kept  unbroken,  and  the  divine 
life  developed  and  increased  more  and  more. 

After  careful  instruction  in  the  home  and 
Church,  if  there  is  due  evidence  that  there  is 
grace  in  the  heart,  that  penitence  and  faith, 
which  are  the  elements  of  the  new  life,  are 
really  present,  she  admits  her  children  to  the 
communion  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  by 
the  beautiful  and  significant  rite  of  confirma- 
tion. 

The  scriptural  doctrine  of  Christ's  holy 
Sacrament  of  the  Altar,  which  our  Church  holds 
and  sets  forth,  and  the  solemn,  searching  pre- 
paratory service  which  she  connects  with  it, 
make  it  truly  calculated  to  strengthen  the  child 
of  God,  and  unite  him  closer  to  Christ. 

Our  Church  insists  that  the  whole  life  of  the 


\ 

CONCLUSION  211 

believer,  in  the  fellowship  of  the  Saviour  and 
of  His  people,  is  to  be  a  ^* growth  in  Grace  and 
in  knowledge."  In  this,  also  the  believer  is 
wonderfully  assisted  by  our  teachings  concern- 
ing the  efficacy  of  the  Word  of  God  as  a  means 
of  Grace,  a  vehicle  and  instrument  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  He  is  further  comforted  and  quickened 
by  that  precious  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  He  is  encouraged  to 
press  forward  to  the  mark,  to  purify  himself 
more  and  more,  to  become  more  and  more  ac- 
tive, earnest  and  consecrated  by  what  the 
Church  teaches  of  sanctification. 

Nor  does  the  Church  overlook  or  forget  the 
sad  fact  that  many — often  through  the  fault  of 
those  who  ought  to  be  their  spiritual  guides  in 
the  home  and  Church — lapse  from  their  bap- 
tismal covenant,  or  forget  their  confirmation 
vows,  and  thus  fall  back  into  an  impenitent 
state.  She  insists  on  the  absolute  necessity  of 
conversion  or  turning  back,  for  all  such.  She 
does  not,  however,  expend  all  her  energies  in 
proclaiming  its  necessity,  but  also  sets  forth 
and  makes  plain  the  nature  of  conversion,  and 
the  means  and  methods  of  bringing  it  about. 

While  the  Church  would,  first  of  all,  use  every 
endeavor  to  preclude  the  necessity  of  conver- 
sion, by  bringing  the  children  to  Jesus  that  He 
may  receive  and  bless  them  through  His  own 
sacrament;  and  while  she  would  use  all  dili- 


212  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

gence  and  watchfulness  to  keep  them  true  to 
Christ  in  their  baptismal  covenant,  yet,  when 
they  do  fall  away,  she  solemnly  assures  them 
that  except  they  repent  and  be  converted,  they 
will  eternally  perish. 

And  if  this  lamentable  backsliding  should 
take  place  more  or  less  with  a  large  portion  of 
a  congregation,  our  Church  prays  and  labors 
for  a  revival.  While  she  repudiates  and  abhors 
all  that  is  unscriptural,  and  therefore  danger- 
ous, in  the  modern  revival  system,  she  yet  ap- 
preciates and  gives  thanks  for  every  "time  of 
refreshing  from  the  Lord." 

Yes,  the  Lutheran  Church  does  believe  in 
salvation,  in  the  absolute  necessity  of  its  per- 
sonal application,  and  in  eternal  perdition  to 
every  one  who  will  not  come  to  God  in  His  own 
way  of  salvation — through  Jesus  Christ. 

And  thus  the  Lutheran  system  is  a  complete 
system.  It  takes  in  everything  revealed  in  the 
Word.  It  teaches  to  observe  all  things  that 
Christ  has  commanded.  It  declares  the  whole 
counsel  of  God. 

The  Lutheran  Church  believes  in  a  Way  of 
being  saved.  She  has  a  positive  system  of  faith. 
Her  system  of  the  doctrines  and  methods  of 
Grace  is  a  complete,  a  consistent,  a  simple,  an 
attractive  one.  It  avoids  the  contradictions  and 
difficulties  of  other  ways  and  systems.  It  is 
thoroughly  loyal  to  God's  Word.     Where  it 


CONCLUSION  213 

differs  from  other  systems  and  faiths,  it  is  be- 
cause it  abides  by  and  bows  to  what  is  written, 
while  others  depart  from  and  change  the  record 
to  suit  their  reasons.  It  gives  all  the  glory  of 
salvation  to  God.  It  throws  all  the  responsi- 
bility of  being  lost  on  man.  It  is  indeed  the 
highway  of  the  Lord,  where  the  redeemed  can 
walk  in  safety  and  in  joy.  It  is  the  old  path, 
the  good  Way  wherein  men  can  find  rest  unto 
their  souls.  It  is  the  Way  trodden  by  Patri- 
archs, Prophets,  and  ancient  servants  of  God. 
It  is  the  Way  of  the  Apostles,  and  Martyrs, 
and  Confessors  of  the  early  Church — the  Way 
that  became  obscured  and  almost  hidden  during 
the  dark  ages.  It  is  the  Way  for  the  bringing 
to  light  and  re-opening  of  which  God  raised  up 
Martin  Luther. 

Yes,  the  nominally  Christian  Church  had 
largely  lost  that  Way.  God  wanted  to  put  her 
right  again.  For  this  purpose  He  raised  up  the 
great  Reformer.  Is  it  not  reasonable  to  be- 
lieve that  He  would  lead  him  and  guide  him  and 
enlighten  him  to  know  and  point  out  this  Way 
aright?  If  the  Lutheran  Reformation  was  a 
work  of  God,  does  it  need  constant  improve- 
ments and  repetitions!  No!  we  believe  that 
God  led  Luther  aright,  that  the  Way  of  Salva- 
tion to  which  He  recalled  the  Church  through 
him  is  the  Divine  Way.  Millions  have  walked  in 
it  since  his  day,  and  found  it  a  good,  safe,  and 


214  THE   WAY  OF  SALVATION 

happy  Way.  No  one  who  has  ever  left  it  for 
another  way  has  gained  thereby. 

To  abandon  the  Lutheran  Church  for  another 
is  to  exchange  a  system  that  is  based  on  sound 
and  well-established  principles  of  interpreta- 
tion, logical,  consistent,  thoroughly  scriptural, 
and  therefore  changeless  in  the  midst  of 
changes,  for  one  without  fixed  principles  of 
interpretation,  only  partially  loyal  to  the  in- 
spired record,  more  or  less  inconsistent,  uncer- 
tain, shifting  and  changing  with  the  whims  or 
notions  of  a  fickle  age. 

It  is  to  exchange  a  faith  that  satisfies,  brings 
peace,  and  manifests  itself  in  a  child-like,  cheer- 
ful, joyous  trust  in  an  ever-living  and  ever- 
present  Redeemer,  for  one  that  ofttimes  per- 
plexes, raises  doubts,  and  is  more  or  less  moody 
and  gloomy.  A  faith  that  is  built  either  on  un- 
certain and  ever-varying  emotion  or  on  an 
inexorable  and  loveless  decree,  cannot  be  as 
steadfast  and  joyous  as  one  that  rests  implicitly 
in  a  Redeemer,  who  tasted  death  for  every  man. 

We  conclude  with  the  eloquent  words  of  Dr. 
Seiss:  **We  do  not  say  that  none  but  Lu- 
therans in  name  and  profession  can  be  saved. 
But  we  do  assert  that  if  salvation  cannot  be 
obtained  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  or  the  high- 
way of  eternal  life  cannot  be  found  in  her,  there 
is  no  such  thing  as  salvation.  There  is  no  God 
but  the  God  she  confesses.    There  is  no  sacred 


CONCLUSION  215 

Scripture  which  she  does  not  receive  and  teach. 
There  is  no  Christ  but  the  Christ  of  her  confes- 
sion, hope  and  trust.  There  are  no  means  of 
grace  ordained  of  God,  but  those  which  she 
uses  and  insists  on  having  used.  There  are  no 
promises  and  conditions  of  divine  acceptance, 
but  those  which  she  puts  before  men  for  their 
comfort.  And  there  is  no  other  true  ministry, 
Church,  or  Faith,  than  that  which  she  acknowl- 
edges and  holds.'' 


THE  REFORMATION  CHURCH 
I. 

What!  leave  the  Reformation  Church, 

Our  fathers'  and  our  own! 
Desert,  betray  and  wound  the  breast 

On  which  our  strength  has  grown? 
No!  we  may  leave  our  land  and  tongue. 

Those  near  and  dear  we've  known. 
But  not  the  Reformation  Church, 

Our  fathers'  and  our  own. 

u. 
What?  leave  the  Reformation  Church, 

Our  glory  and  our  pride? 
Forsake  the  faith  that  Jesus  taught — 

There  is  no  truth  beside! 
No!   on  this  Rock  'gainst  every  shock. 

Though  proselytes  assail, 
We'll  stand  secure,  with  promise  sure. 

They  never  shall  prevail. 


2lg  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

in. 
Our  dear  old  Reformation  Church! 

We  love  her  ancient  name; 
And  Ood  forbid  that  one  of  us 

Should  ever  do  her  shame. 
The  mother  of  true  Protestants, 

A  mother's  love  has  shown; 
Nor  can  we  now  deny  her  cause, 

A  stranger's  claim  to  own. 


Our  own  dear  Reformation  Church! 

We've  heard  the  tales  of  blood. 
Of  those  who  loved  thee  to  their  death, 

The  true,  the  wise  and  good; 
The  faith  of  Augsburg  they  have  kept. 

They  burned,  and  bled,  and  died. 
And  shall  their  children's  children  now 

Be  traitors  at  her  side? 

V. 

O.  dear  old  Reformation  Church! 

The  love  can  not  grow  cold. 
That  coursed  like  streams  of  living  light. 

In  martyrs'  veins  of  old; 
That  cruel  Thirty  years  of  war, 

'Mid  persecution's  flame, 
Has  warmed  the  blood  in  every  heart. 

For  those  of  Lutheran  name. 


We  love  our  Reformation  Church, 

For  she  reveres  her  Lord, 
She  teaches  naught,  confesses  naught, 

But  from  the  written  Word; 


COBTCLUSION  217 

Her  voice  is  like  our  Saviour's  voice. 

Compassionate  and  kind. 
She  teaches  us  the  Gospel  pure — 

Thus  we  salvation  find. 

VIL 

We  love  our  Reformation  Church, 

Because  she  leads  us  on 
To  heaven  and  God — the  Church  above. 

Where  Christ  our  Lord  hath  gone: 
We  follow  in  the  steps  of  Him, 

The  Life,  the  Truth,  the  Way, 
The  Morning  Star  that  lights  the  path 

From  darkness  unto  day. 


Then  with  our  Luther,  bold  and  true. 

And  loyal  to  each  vow. 
We'll  stand  with  Christ  and  for  His  Church, 

As  God  doth  call  us  now; 
In  protest  strong,  'gainst  every  wrong. 

Proclaim  His  truth  alone — 
This  faith  shall  still  be  dear  to  us. 

Our  fathers'  and  our  own. 

J.  E.  BrsHNEix. 
Oakland,  Cal. 


GUIDE  QUESTIONS 

Numbers  refer  to  the  page.  Roman  numerals  to  the  article 
in  the  Augsburg  Confession,  except  in  Introductory  where  they 
refer  to  page. 

INTRODUCTORY 

1.  What  is  the  author's  aim?  xii,  xiii,  258. 

2.  To  what  does  this  book  appeal  throughout  for  proof?  xxi. 

3.  How  should  it  be  read?  xxi. 

ORIGINAL  SIN 

4.  How  is  Original  Sin  regarded  in  some  cjuarters?  26-7.  How 
in  the  Lutheran  Church?  27-8,  II. 

THE  NEW  BIRTH 

5.  Does  the  new  born  infant  need  salvation?  31-7,  II. 

6.  What  is  the  office  of  the  Church?  37,  42-44,  VII,  VIII. 

7.  At  what  age  does  the  Lutheran  Church  start  man  in  the 
way  of  salvation?  38,  43,  44.  How?  31,  46-8,  IX. 

8.  Does  God  will  men  to  be  lost?  49-51,  IV. 

(J.  How  does  God  reach  men  and  give  the  Holy  Spirit?  40-43, 
\. 

10.  What  is  the  way  of  salvation  in  the  Lutheran  Church? 
43- N- 

BAPTISM 

n.  What  do  Lutherans  understand   Baptism   to  l)e?  46-9,  IX. 
12.  Is  baptism   necessary?  49-51,  IX. 

219 


220  THE  WAY  OF  SAI.VATIOX 

13.  What  are  the  benefits  and  effects  of  baptism?  49,  IX. 

14.  What  authority  for  infant  baptism?  51,  52,  IX. 

15.  When  Christian  parents  have  their  children  baptized, 
have  they  fulfilled  their  whole  duty?  52.  What  more  is  required? 
52.  57- 

iG.  What  ideal  should  every  Christian  parent  strive  to  realize? 
56-60. 

17.  Why  teacli  the  cliild  concerning  its  own  baptism?  64,  IX. 

HOME  IXFLIJEXCE  AND  TRAINING 

18.  Why  cannot  parents  who  are  not  Christians  properly  pre- 
sent a  child  for  jjaptism?  60-61. 

19.  What  is  the  Lutheran  conception  of  a  Christian  home? 
60-66. 

20.. How  should   the   Bil)le  be  taught  to  children?  64-5. 

21.  Should   the  parents  or  the  pastor  teach   the  children?  64. 

IHE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL    AND    BAPTIZED    CHILDREN 

22.  AVhy  docs  the  Lutheran  church  start  man  in  the  way  of 
.salvation  in  infancy  instead  of  letting  them  grow  up  and  then 
converting  them?  67-9.  IX. 

23.  What  is  the  object  of  the  Sunday  school  with  reference 
to  baptized  children  from   Christian  homes?  70-73. 

24.  Why  should  teachers  in  Lutheran  Sunday  schools  know 
and  teach   the  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran  church?  73-77. 

25.  Why  should  Lutheran  literature  be  taught  in  our  Luther- 
an Sunday  schools?  73,  74,  76-8. 

THE   SUNDAY   SCHOOL   AND   THE    UNBAPTIZED 

26.  What  is  the  object  of  the  .Sunday  school  with  reference 
to   the  unbaptized   and   wandering?  79,  80.   How   accomplish  it? 

79-80. 


GUIDE  QUESTIONS  221 

CATECHIZATION 

27.  Why  ha\e  our  Lutheran  Sunday  school  helps  had  portions 
of  the  Catechism  in  connection  with  each  Sunday's  lesson?  81-2. 

28.  What  is  the  Lutheran  Sunday  school  teacher's  duty  with 
reference  to  the  Catechism?  82. 

29.  What  should   be  the  pastor's  part  in  catechization?  83. 

30.  What  is  the  nature  and  object  of  Luther's  Small  Cate- 
chism? 85-6.  What  do  you  know  of  the  contents,  arrangement 
and  excellence  of  it?  87-93. 

31.  How  and  why  sliould   the  catechism  he  taught?  94-100. 

CONFIR\L\TIO\ 

32.  What  is  Confirmation?   104-7.  I's  origin?   106. 

33.  ^Vho  should   be  confirmed?  99-100. 

IHE  LORDS  SUPPER 

34.  What  is  the  source  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  110-113.  '^Vhen 
instituted?  113,  X.  The  icrm  used  to  designate  it?  114.  Gi\e 
its   meaning.    1 1  j. 

35.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  Lord's  Supper?   115-120. 

36.  What  is  the  Bible  doctiiiie  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  121-131, 
X. 

37.  What  is  Transubstantiation?  121-2.  Consubstantiation?  122- 
4.  Does  the  Lutheran  Church  believe  or  teach  either?  123. 

38.  What  is  the  current  popular  view  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
outside  the  Lutheran  Church?   124-5. 

39.  What  is  the  Lutheran  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  126- 
130,  X. 

IHE  PREP  ARMORY  SERVICE 

40.  What  is  the  preparatory  service?  132-5.  Is  it  scriptural? 
133,  XL  XXV.  What  is  its  object?   134. 

41.  \Vhat  is  Al)solution?   134-5,  XI,  XXV. 

42.  In  what  sense  can   a  minister  remit  sin?   137-9.  ^^^^V. 


222  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATIOX 

THE  WORD  OF  GOD  AS  A   MEANS  OF  GRACE 

43.  How  does  the  Lutheran  Church  regard  the  Word  of  God? 
142-9    (Int.  Augs.  Conf.)  . 

44.  What  relation  does  the  Word  sustain  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
according   to   Lutheran   teaching?   1428,  V. 

45.  Why  cannot  a   true  Lutheran   pulpit  be  sensational?   149. 

46.  What  rules  does  the  Lutheran  Church  have  in  regard  to 
the  interpretation  of  Scripture?  45,  46,  116. 


CONVERSION 

47.  What   is   Conversion?    152-4.   Its  essential  elements?    154-5, 
169,  IV,  VI,  XII. 

48.  Who  need  conversion?   155-7,  211-2,  XII. 

49.  Who  do  not  need  conversion?   156.  Why  not?  53-9.    156-7, 
VI,   IX. 

50.  How   is  Conversion   brought  about?    158-166,   169. 

51.  Do  all  men  have  the  same  experience  in  conversion?   159, 
164. 

52.  Can   every   one    tell    the   exact    time   and    place   \vhere   he 
was  converted?  164.  Is  it  necessary?  164. 

53.  Can  you   tell  whether  you  are  now   in  a  converted  state? 
165-6,  VI. 

54.  Can  man  do  anything  to  bring  about  his  conversion?  167- 
175.   XVIII. 

55.  Does  the  Lutheran   Church   teach   that  in  conversion   the 
new  life  is  complete?  or  only  begun?  What  further  is  necessary? 

187-8. 

56.  Does   the  sinner  first  come  to  God  or  God   to   the  sinner 
and   how?    169-71,  V. 

57.  If  you  are  con\erted,  to  whom  does  the  glory  belong?  174. 

58.  If  you  are  lost  who  will  be  responsible?   173. 


GUIDE  QUESTIONS  223 

JUSTIFICATION 

r/).  What  is  the  most  prominent  doctrine  of  Lutheranism?  176. 

60.  What  is  justification?   177-8,  IV. 

61.  On  what  ground  are  we  justified?  179-182,  IV. 

62.  How   does    this   justification    become   personal    possession? 
182-3,  IV,  VI. 

63.  Is  there  any  merit  in  faith?  183,  IV. 

64.  Why   is   the   doctrine   of  justification    by   faith   so   highly 
prized?  185-6. 


S.WCTIFICATION 

65.  What   is  sanctification?    189-191,  VI. 

66.  What  is  the  difference  between  justification  and  sanctifi- 
cation? 187-9. 

67.  Are  the  saints  on  earth  sinless?  189-192. 

68.  Is  sanctification  instantaneous  and  entire,  or  gradual  and 
progressive?    192-3,  V. 

69.  How  is  sanctification  brought  about?  193-6. 


REVIVALS 

70.  What  does   the  W'ord  revive  mean?   197. 

71.  Should  revivals  be  necessary?   156,   197-8. 

72.  When  and  why  are  revivals  necessary?   198,  202. 

73.  Objections  to  modern  revivals?   198-202. 

74.  What  is  the  place  of  feeling  in  religion?  201. 


224  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATIOX 

75.  How   is  a  revival   Ijrought  about  in   the  individual  Chris- 
tian? 202-3. 

76.  How  is  a  revixal  brought  about  in  the  whole  congregation? 
203. 

77.  \Vhat  should  be  the  nature  of  revival  preaching?  203,  205. 

78.  How  can  communion  seasons  aid  in  revival?  203. 

79.  What  are  the  benefits  of  adult  Bible  classes?  204. 

80.  Mention  some  indications  of  special  "times  of  visitation"! 
204. 

81.  How  should  pastor  and  lay  memljers  respond  to  such  indi- 
cations? 205. 

82.  What  are  the  fruits  of  a  true  revival?  205. 

83.  Give  a  brief  systematic  statement  of  the  way  of  salvation 
in   the  Lutheran  Church.  207-15. 


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